He Who Wields The Lightning

Chapters

Speechless
Their "Hero"
Protector of the Future
Repayment
Harmony and Family
Black Adam
The Two Spheres
Doom to the Groom
Their Hero
The Only Chance They Have
"Helping" Others
Griffon The Idea
Failure
Mercy
Fall of Harmony
Evil Awakened
Return
Judgment of a God
The Empty Castle
King of the Dragons
Transcending Reality
The Wizard
Supreme Adam
Phantoms
Gods of War
Champion of the Queen
A New Beginning
Bonus Chapter: Devourer of Worlds
After the Battle

Speechless

With the vague notion of pain coursing through his body, the human named Teth slowly sat up in what he assumed was a bed, rubbing his hands as he looked down at them through blurry eyes.

'Ugh, what happened to me? Last thing I remember was...' His train of thought was derailed when he looked up and noticed that a horse in golden armor was looking through the bars of a cell at him. He shot back in his bed as he began to envoke the word for the greatest magic known to man...only to realize that no sound escaped his lips. He looked down at his throat with wide eyes, realizing what had been done. 'Damn you, wizard.'

"Glad to see that you are awake, seeing that you were out for a week," a new voice said, as a giant white horse with both wings and a horn entered the room, leaving Adam to try and grasp what had happened and where he was. "I can see from the look on your face that you are confused, but I can provide the answers you need if you wish." Teth scowled and tried to call out for the power of SHAZAM again, but without his voice he could not summon his power. So all he could do was nod to the horse with resignation, while he began to plan a way to get his voice back. The horse told the smaller horse to unlock the cage and it did so, allowing Adam to leave the cell.

"Please follow me," the white horse said as she began to lead him out of what he assumed was a dungeon. "I do not wish for you to be hurt, human." Adam was a bit surprised that she knew him to be human, but his biggest concern right now was the lack of his voice. Without it, he was powerless, in what he assumed to be a new land. He followed the horse down a bleak hallway into a quiet room with a mirror on one wall, which he guessed was a one-way window. The white horse sat down in one of the two chairs in the room and motioned for him to do the same.

"I must admit, I did not believe the legends that humans were real, but here you are to prove me wrong," she said with a thin smile. When he didn't reply, she frowned a bit and took on a more formal pose. "I am Princess Celestia, ruler of these lands and the ponies that live in them. I am responsible for their safety." Adam raised his eyebrows at this, wondering why the wizard would send him into a world under tyranny without his powers. Was the wizard trying to torture him? "And since they are my responsibility I must ask, why did you fall out of the sky into my gardens? Were you trying to hurt us or did you have no control over your actions?"

'Foolish pony, is it not obvious that I cannot speak?' he thought to himself, but it was obvious that this pony could not read minds. When he didn't answer, Celestia sighed and closed her eyes.

"May I at least ask for your name then?" Teth figured since the idiot couldn't tell that he couldn't speak, he would have to point it out for her. He pointed to his throat and then shook his head, rolling his eyes when he saw the realization spread on Celestia's face. "You cannot speak? I am so sorry, I did not know. Hold on just a second." What Adam saw next terrified him a bit, as he watched her horn begin to glow. Then, the door opened on the other end of the room, and a sheet of parchment and a quill floated in through it.

'That feels like...magic,' Adam thought to himself as the items were placed in front of him. Due to his being enchanted for nearly five thousand years, Adam could almost immediately pick up on the sources of magic, and this pony, while not giving off energies that could match his own, still had a considerable amount of magic in her. That only made her more dangerous to him. 'So, the ponies here can use magic as well? This is definitely not any of the Earth's I know of."

"Now then, would you please write your name for me?" Celestia asked him once again, and this time Adam was forced to think about it. He could not fight the ponies if they could utilize magic, not without his powers at least. And from the energy coming off of his throat, it was obvious that the wizard's magic is what held his voice at bay. So with no reasonable alternative, he grabbed the parchment and quickly scrawled his name. "Teth...that is a weird name for a human, but it is your name. Hello, Teth, and welcome to the land of Equestria. May I ask how you got here?" Teth scowled at her fake kindness and crossed his arms, telling Celestia that she was getting nothing else from him. Celesita sighed at his stubbornness and stood up, walking over to the mirror.

"Teth, I know that you must feel lost in this new land, but if you do not help me, I cannot help you," she said as she walked back over to him and sat down. "I only wish to help you. So please, tell me how you got here." Adam leaned back in his chair and slightly lowered his head, remembering exactly how he had gotten here...

====Earth====

"...This is Vickie Vale of Gotham news. Fires have spread all over DC as apparently bolts of lightning have struck the White House..."

"...Reports of Black Adam killing the President and all the members of Congress, more coming as it..."

"...Possible retaliation for the nuking of Kahndaq which happened only a few days ago..."

"...Superman and other members of the Justice League have finally managed to subdue Adam after a long battle that has left most of DC in ruins, but the body count is still unknown. This is Lois Lane, bringing you more as it..."

The old wizard closed his eyes as he heard all of these reports of the damage, once again asking himself how he could have been so blind to Adam's true nature. He slowly opened his eyes as he felt the presence of an evil and good magic of the same nature enter his chamber, along with a few other people that assisted the Champion of Good. He watched as a bloodied Adam was dragged in front of him, with Superman holding one arm and his true champion, Captain Marvel, holding the other. Behind them were Batman and Wonder Woman, two other key members of the greatest force of good on Earth. Adam slowly lifted his head at the wizard with a scowl, spitting out a bit of blood at the wizard's feet.

"Why have you done this, Adam?" the wizard asked his fallen champion, who only scowled at the old man.

"I did this because the United States government is responsible for the destruction of my home...the destruction of Kahndaq!" he roared as he tried to escape his captors' grasp, but a blow to the back of his head from Superman put him down.

"You have no proof of this," Batman said as Adam slowly picked his head back up. "You only suspect that the United States had something to do with it."

"Your CADMUS organization was the last known place to house Doomsday, yet somehow he and a nuclear warhead ended up in my capital!" Adam screamed at the Bat, lightning flashing in his eyes. "My nation is gone! Hundreds of my people have been lost and your government is to blame! Nobody else on the planet could get both of those into my nation without me knowing. Nobody but CADMUS!"

"Even if you are right, you're still in the wrong for what you just did," Captain Marvel said with a shake of his head as he tightened his grip. "You killed hundreds of innocents in DC, along with the US government. You have a lot to answer for and you will pay for your crimes."

"And who was going to make them pay for theirs?" Adam asked his rival. "No one would make them pay for the crime they committed but me. And once I have disposed of all of you, I will do the same to CADMUS."

"No Adam, you won't. Not any more," Superman said with a frown as he looked up at the old wizard in the chair. "Are you ready Shazam?"

"Yes, I am," the old man said as power began to course through him. "Adam, for too long you have used the power of good to kill and destroy all who opposed you. I still do not know how you managed to trick me into thinking you were this world's savior. But after today, that will all end. Diana, if you would." Wonder Woman nodded and wrapped her Lasso of Truth around Adam's neck, waiting until it was at full power before she spoke.

"What is the name of the word that causes you to transform?" she asked him. Adam struggled against it, feeling the sudden desire to tell her whatever she wanted.

"N-no...I will not..."

"What is the word?"

"S...SHAZAM!" A massive lightning bolt came down in the cave, striking Adam square in the chest and changing him from his powerful, godly form into that of a regular man. Wonder Woman slipped off the lasso as Adam struggled back up, looking up at the wizard who shook his head before he grabbed Teth by the throat, muttering an incantation. Adam gritted his teeth as magic flowed through his throat until he was released by the wizard.

"You will now no longer be able to call on the power that you do not deserve," Shazam said with a shake of his head. "And because you cannot be trusted, you will also no longer remain on this world. I will send you to the ends of the galaxy where hopefully you will find peace." As he said this, a golden energy began to wrap itself around Adam, lifting him into the air as he looked down at the wizard one last time.

"Farewell...my fallen champion." And then Adam was launched into the farthest reaches of space, with four relieved heroes and one sad wizard there to watch him go.

===Equestria===

'I have no idea how I got here,' Adam wrote down on the paper, handing it to Celestia who looked at it with a frown. She looked at the mirror for a moment before speaking again.

"Do you have any idea where your home is? Maybe I can use my magic to send you back?"

'I have no home,' Adam wrote on the paper before he leaned back in his chair again and closed his eyes, ignoring all of Celestia's other questions. When she finally realized that he would reveal no more, she stood up without a word and walked out of the room, leaving Adam alone for a few minutes before she came back in with a guard.

"Teth, I have decided that if it's alright with you, you can stay in one of the guest rooms until we can work out a place for you to live," Celestia said with a warm smile that caused Adam's eyebrows to raise in suspicion.

'And what do you want in return?' he scribed.

"I have no need for repayment. I just wish to help you," she said with another warm smile.

'Why would you help me?'

"Because I try to help all that I can, even if they are aliens," she said with a smile, while a pony wearing doctor's garb came in and walked over to Adam, who instinctively brought his hands up to defend himself. "Do not worry, he is not going to hurt you. He just wants to make sure that you are healthy and well. You did fall from the sky after all." Adam didn't like the pony being so close, but any hostile action might result in him getting killed, so he had no choice but to endure the indignity of having the pony look over him. The doctor examined him while occasionally looking amazed at the human's form, but he did not seem to find anything wrong with Adam--not until he got to Teth's throat.

"Celestia, I don't know why, but there is a strong magical field on the human's throat," the doctor said to the princess as he examined Adam's throat, moving a hoof close to it so he could feel the power. "And it's strong, much stronger than any magic you or any pony could generate."

"That is indeed worrisome," she said as she looked at Teth. "Do you have any idea where this magic came from?" Adam didn't answer her again, causing her to sigh. "Please follow me. I will lead you to your quarters." Adam slowly stood up and followed her out of the room, noticing that the guard that had come in with her was looking back at him every few feet.

"Princess, why are you being so kind to this creature?" the guard whispered to Celestia, but loud enough so that Teth could hear. "We know absolutely nothing about it, and we have no idea what it's capable of. He could be dangerous!"

'If I had my voice, I would show you my dangerous side,' Adam thought with a smirk.

"If you were stuck on a foreign planet with no idea of how you got there and you were missing your voice, wouldn't you hope that somepony would be kind to you and help you out?" Celestia asked the guard with a smile as she looked back at Teth. "He needs our help, so I am happy to give it to him." Adam didn't know the real reason behind Celestia's kindness, but he didn't believe it for a moment. But he had little choice but to follow her, so while he did so, he looked around the castle to see the new place he would be staying. It was a decent castle, not grander than his Kahndaq palace back when it was still standing. He followed her and the guard up into a secluded part of the palace where one of the turrets held a single room, which Adam assumed was where he would be staying.

"These will be your quarters," Celestia said as she opened the door to reveal a simple room that held only a bed, a table and a bathroom in the corner. "Please stay in this room until the time comes for dinner a little later. If you need anything, feel free to write a note to the guard that will be stationed just around the corner. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find out what you humans eat." Before Adam could do anything, Celestia had already stood up and left, leaving him alone in his new "home." With nothing better to do, Adam lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, thinking about what he was going to do now that he had a moment alone.

'The first matter, is what do I do about the lack of my voice?' he thought to himself. 'That pony said that the wizard's magic was beyond anything they had, which I am not surprised by. But that means their pitiful magic cannot be of use to me, and I refuse to be a prisoner of this foolish princess for long. I must find a way to access my power before they decide to dispose of me, so I can go seek vengeance on those who took my land.' But the more Adam thought about it, the less he knew where to begin. He had no idea if he was close to his world or not, although the wizard said that he was going to send him to the ends of the galaxy, which led Adam to wonder if the Lanterns were out here. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the faint sounds of two voices outside of his door.

"Come on, Sis. Mom said not to bother him. We could get in trouble."

"I don't care what Celestia said. I could be the first pony in history to have an actual conversation with an alive human. This is a chance that I am not going to pass up." Adam listened as the door creaked opened and the sounds of two sets hooves on the floor got closer and closer until they came to a stop right next to his bed. "He's definitely a lot uglier than I thought." The moment that she had finished speaking, Adam had shot up in his bed and grabbed her by the throat, causing a smaller pony to scream as he lifted the silver-ish pony up by her throat. At the sound of the scream the guard came running in, snarling at Adam when he saw what was going on.

"Get your hooves off her you-" Before he could finish, Adam swung his arm and hurled the pony to the guard, stunning them both. He then threw a punch into the guard's jaw for all he was worth and decked the armored horse, knocking him to the floor where he stayed. He was about to go finish the guard off when he found himself surrounded by a white aura and lifted into the air, slowly being turned so that he could look into the eyes of an angry filly.

"You think that you can hit me and get away with it?" the filly said with narrowed eyes, as she began to tighten the magic on Adam. Before she could do any real damage to him however, her magic was suddenly cut off when a blast of solar magic clashed with her own.

"That is enough, Radiance," Celestia said in a low voice as she appeared between her daughter and Adam, who had fallen to the floor and was clutching his ribs in pain. "I told the two of you to stay away from the human, and instead you come in here, disobeying me?"

"I just wanted to see a human," Radiance muttered as she looked away.

"And you almost ended up killing him," Celestia said with a scowl. "Come with me. You need more practice at controlling your magic when you are filled with emotion. We're going to go to training now." Radiance muttered under her breath as both she and Sunnysmiles followed her out of the room, stopping behind her as she turned to Adam. "I am sorry about what happened, I promise that it will not happen again. You are welcome to join us if you wish." Adam stood up and glared at the small pony for a moment before he decided to join them, wanting to see the mare get her deserts for attacking him. He followed the three through the castle until they reached a small room that had rows of seats with a stage at the bottom. A sign hanging over the door read, "training room."

'Let us see just how skilled this annoyance really is,' he thought to himself, as he sat down in a chair while Celestia and Radiance walked down to the stage, whereas Sunnysmiles annoyed Adam by sitting down next to him.

"Now then, today's lesson is about how to use your magic while you cannot focus as well as you want to," Celestia said as she cast a red spell on Radiance, making her slightly more angry. "That is when the real training will begin."

"I'm fine," Radiance said as she focused on levitating a pile of books that Celestia told her to levitate, with Adam smirking at her pitiful magic skills. Radiance could barely keep the book afloat, and the spell wasn't even at its full power yet. Adam would have enjoyed the spectacle more if a little filly next to him wasn't constantly trying to get in his face.

"Sorry about that," Sunnysmiles said with a smile, once Teth had glared at her to get her to stop. "I just really wanted to talk to you. Or, let me talk since you can't. Wait, I didn't mean it like that, I--" Adam put his hand over her mouth to shut her up, tired of hearing her talk. Radiance's spellcasting was getting worse and worse due to the red spell, and now she couldn't get the book to float even an inch, causing her to become more and more frustrated.

"Not so easy to use your magic when you have lost your focus, is it?" Celestia asked with a smile. "You must learn to fight through pain and exhaustion if you wish to obtain the power you seek." Radiance let out a roar and channeled all of her magical power into the spell of levitation, fighting through the red spell to lift the books up with all her might. But in her rage, the books hit the table and fell over, leaving her panting in exhaustion as Celestia shook her head. "Rage will not be your ally if you wish to use your magic to the best of its ability."

"Yeah, but it gives my magic a kick that no other method can," Radiance snapped back, causing the princess to narrow her eyes at the filly.

"My sister has a bit of a temper, kind of like you," Sunny whispered to Teth, who glared at her to be quiet again. "Jeez, aren't you a grumpy one. You need a timeout?" He despised the way she talked to him so casually, without respect or thought. He had killed for lesser insults than that.

'If I had my power, she would not speak to me in such a way,' he thought as Radiance got back up and tried once again to levitate the books with her magic. But once the books fell over again, Radiance let out a roar of rage and sent a fireball spell into the books, setting them ablaze as she snarled. Then she began to fire magic in every direction, unable to get herself to stop.

"Stop, Radiance!" Celestia cried out as she tried to use her magic to stop the spells, but the ones that had already been cast were bouncing around the room. Radiance cried out that she couldn't stop, as Teth began to predict where the next bolts of magic were going to land, preparing to get out of the way of one that he knew was heading for him. He was about to move when he realized that Sunnysmiles was still rooted in place, too terrified of the magic to move. He saw the spell coming towards the two of them and knew that he had only a moment to react.

'You are a lucky pony,' he thought as his arm shot out and grabbed Sunnysmiles, picking her up into his arms. But as he turned to run, he realized that he had made a mistake in the timing, and the brief second that he had spent grabbing her had taken away his time to get out of the way. 'I hate you wizard, for sending me here. And I hate these ponies even more.' And then the spell hit him in the back and everything went black.

Their "Hero"

"Adam, you've gone too far this time!" Superman roared as he flew towards Adam, only to be swatted away by what used to be the Washington Monument. As Superman was sent sailing into the side of a building, both Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel came flying at him, both of them tackling him and driving him through the streets.

"Do you realize what you have done?!" Captain Marvel yelled at him as he started to punch Black Adam in the face. "Did you even think of all the families that you've torn apart?! All of the innocent lives that have been taken!?"

"Innocent?!" Adam roared as he threw the two heroes off, grabbing the ankle of Marvel and using him to swat Wonder Woman away. "What about all of the innocents of my home?! All of the people who did NOTHING to evoke the wrath that this nation brought upon them!? The nuclear weapons would have been terrible enough, but then you sent Doomsday to my land!? There will be blood spilt here a thousand fold for all the blood that was spilt in my home!" Adam roared as he created a spear of lightning in his hand, preparing to impale Marvel until Superman came flying up to punch him in the face.

"We didn't send those nukes to your country and we sure as hell didn't let Doomsday out of the Phantom Zone!" Superman roared as he threw 'lefts and rights' into Adam's face while the two soared through the air. "We wanted nothing but peace with your home!"

"And now you have brought death!" Adam roared in reply as he chopped Superman in the throat, following up with a knee to the gut that doubled Superman over. Adam slammed both of his fists into Superman's back and sent him through the streets below, kicking up cars and the bodies of those who had not been fast enough to escape. He prepared to fly down and finish Superman when he was aware of power crackling behind him. He turned to see Captain Marvel floating in the air, all of the power of Zeus in his two hands which he pointed at Black Adam.

"And you have brought about your own defeat," Captain Marvel said with rage before he sent all of the lightning into Black Adam's chest, causing the Dark One to roar with pain as the power consumed him, sending him crashing to the ground while his body writhed with pain.

====S=H=A=Z=A=M====

Adam felt that same pain coursing through his body as he weakly opened his eyes--his first sight was a number of eyes that looked down at him with concern. He growled as he realized that he was still stuck with the ponies and that they had not been a dream, but then the pain returned and he silently cried out in agony.

"Hold on Teth, this will sooth your wounds," Celestia said as she placed a greenish liquid on Teth's scarred chest, the liquid seeping into his burns and cuts. On instinct he swatted the vial of liquid out of her grasp and sprang to his feet, preparing to fight, despite the horrible pain that burned through his body. The guards at Celestia's side prepared to engage him, but all Celestia needed to do was hold out a wing to cease their attempted attack. "No, he is hurt and in pain. Attacking him would not end well for any of us. I am truly sorry about this, Teth. I did not mean for--" The look of pure scorn that he gave her caused her words to die in her mouth, and for a moment Teth saw what seemed to be weakness in her eyes.

'A simple look from me is enough to silence this supposed great leader? She is as weak as the ones I knew back home,' Adam thought with disgust as he turned away from her, ignoring the pain while he gazed out the window at the dark and stormy sky.

"Teth, I am sorry for what has happened, but you need to be healed. Your wounds..." Another glare from Teth silenced her once again and she hung her head slightly. "Very well. Since it was my fault that you were injured, I will not pester you any longer. But I beg you to use this healing tonic before your wounds grow worse." Adam did not turn around when she placed the green vial on one of the tables in the room, and he continued to ignore her as she and the guards left the room.

'She has no spine, and she is not a threat. If a simple glance can break her confidence, then I will not need to battle her.' Adam heard rumbling in the distance, a rumbling that had spent all of his life following him. He flung open the twin doors to the balcony and walked through them into the sprinkling rain, rain that fell from black clouds that flashed with lightning overhead. 'There it is. All of my power, yet it is out of my reach...because of those heroes.' He placed his hands on the guard rail and glared into the clouds. 'Would one of those bolts restore me to my greatness or end my suffering now? Either option is preferable to these wastes of life I find myself surrounded by.'

Pain coursed through his body again and this time it was in a much greater degree, causing the human to curse as he marched back inside of the room and picked up the green vial. Even though he loathed to have to stoop to such a menial task, he removed the lid and poured the greenish liquid into the areas that burned the most.

'Pathetic. To think that I am reduced to this state where I must rely on these insignificant ponies to aid me. It shames me to my core,' he thought with fury as he placed the vial back on the table, turning back towards the black sky when the room shook from the rumble of the thunder. 'A day ago that lightning was mine to command and the thunder was my voice, but now...' He decided that he would rather take the chance with the lightning than stay in the room, so he felt the rain wash down his slightly bearded face. 'Curse you wizard. I will find a way back and then I shall rain lightning upon-'

"Cookie?" Adam felt the desire to jump at the voice that suddenly seemed to appear next to him, but his training and self-control kept him calm. With rage that would have cowed the Kryptonian, he looked down at the small, golden filly that offered him a small treat. She was unaffected by his rage, but she retracted her offer and munched down on it herself. "Okay, you could just say no. Oops, sorry, I didn't mean--" Adam wished he could make any sound to let the creature know how much she annoyed him, but all he could do was glare and that wasn't enough to be rid of her.

"I'm sorry, I think we got off on the wrong hoof the other day," the small filly said as she held out a hoof with a half eaten cookie in it. "I'm Sunnysmiles!" Adam debated throwing her over the balcony right there, but despite her annoying nature he saw no reason to respond with force.

'If I ignore her, she will eventually have to go away,' he thought to himself as he turned back to look at the thundering clouds, leaving the outstretched hoof hanging there.

"Um, while it may be different for humans in Equestria, we shake the hooves of other ponies," Sunnysmiles said kindly, but aside from a sneer Adam took no notice of what she had said. With a pout she turned to look at the sky as well while eating her snack, until a blinding flash went off followed by a roar that caused her to jump ten feet into the air and take cover behind Adam's legs. While Adam rarely laughed, he did consider the spectacle to be amusing as the little pony shivered behind him. "S-sorry, but lightning terrifies me."

'Then you should not be trying to make friends with me.'

"My mom always used to tell me that lightning was caused by some sort of natural occurrence in the sky."

'That is the correct answer.'

"But my dad said it was because gods were fighting in the heavens, each of them trying to impose their will on the other."

'That is my answer.'

Sunnysmiles continued to try and make talk with Teth, but between the flashes of lightning that terrified her and the indifference of the human, she soon gave up on the idea all together. She turned to head back inside, but not before turning around to give Adam a kind smile.

"Teth...thanks for saving me. I know you don't like us and that we haven't really done much to earn your trust, but...it was nice. If it wasn't for your attitude, I would consider you a hero." Adam never turned around, but he did listen to her words instead of the thunder for a moment, before going back to his thoughts. He had considered destroying these creatures when he returned to his glory, but now he couldn't care less about them. The only things they would be harmful to was themselves.

'I cannot focus on them, not when I must take vengeance for my people,' Adam mused as he gripped the bars of the railing tightly, lightning flashing all around him while he looked to the sky with bloody vengeance in his eyes. 'And only when I have destroyed everything you have worked so hard to protect wizard, will I finally strike you down.' The storm sent down more lightning as if it agreed with him, leaving the human standing in the middle of a thunder storm and an internal storm.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that I also got you a drink!" Sunnysmiles said from beside Adam.

====S=H=A=Z=A=M====

'Well that ended well.' Celestia sighed softly to herself as she did her best to manipulate the moon, despite not being able to see it through the cloud cover. She frowned to herself, that despite her having to do this for about a thousand years, she still couldn't get the moon as perfectly placed as her sister. 'My first chance to speak with an actual human, and it ends with him hating me and probably all ponies. Sister, what would you have done?'

"Something the matter, Celestia?" Radiance asked as she walked up behind Celestia on the balcony, barely able to see the glow of the moon through the thundering darkness that surrounded the city.

"I'm just upset about what happened with Teth," Celestia said to her filly as she figured that the moon was placed well enough. "And how many times must I ask you to call me, 'Mother'? We are family now."

"Sure. Sunnysmiles told me that she went to talk to Teth, and she said from the look on his face it looked like he wanted to kill her," Radiance said with a fire in her voice that Celestia had come to realize meant that she was on the verge of an outburst. "Why do you keep him around anyway? It's obvious that he's dangerous and it's obvious that he doesn't like any of us, so why not do what he wants and get him far away from us?"

"Radiance, the reason the human hates us is my fault. I should not have brought him into the training area so soon," Celestia admitted as she felt the rain against her coat, the weather matching how she was feeling. "But I saw the way he looked at us with such scorn and dislike, I thought that if I showed him what our magic could do he would cease those looks. Seems that all it did was anger him further." Radiance didn't respond as she looked through the flashing clouds to see the vague outline of the moon.

"So...what was Luna like?" Radiance asked. Celestia was about to respond, but at that moment a guard entered her chambers and bowed respectfully to the pair before speaking.

"Princess...the human wants to see you," he said with hesitation. Celestia said to let him in and the guard bowed before opening the door to let Adam in. He stalked into the room with Sunnysmiles tucked under his arm and a look on his face that slightly scared Celestia as he walked up to her, looking into her eyes before deliberately dropping Sunnysmiles at her hooves. Sunnysmiles stuck her tongue out at Adam as he turned to leave before looking up at Celestia with an innocent smile.

"Anyway Celestia, you talking about your sister?" Radiance asked as she and her sister sat down. Celestia wondered if she should talk about this now, but then she noticed that Teth was standing at the door with a hand on it, listening as well.

"Luna is my sister, who controls the moon while I control the sun," Celestia said. While Sunnysmiles and Radiance looked up at her with a bit of awe at her powers, she could see from his face that Teth was not impressed. "While I am generally more in control and reserved, she is headstrong and prefers a 'strike first' kind of plan. However, that is what made the two of us so good at ruling, since I would keep the peace through words and Luna would enforce it if needed."

"But then she became super jealous of you, right?" Sunnysmiles asked, to which Celestia nodded sadly.

"Yes, and in her jealous state she became a monster, a monster that ponies now fear as Nightmare Moon." Adam scoffed silently at the name, wondering if it had been a child that had thought it up. "She had become jealous that ponies preferred to stay awake and play in the sun while they slept during her beloved night. With rage in her heart, she attacked me and tried to bring Canterlot down. I...had to use the Elements of Harmony, our greatest source of magic, Teth, to defeat her and banish her to the moon for a thousand years...an act that I still haven't forgiven myself for."

'Banish her to the moon? This fool of a leader is obviously far too weak to do that,' Adam sneered. 'Though these Elements do interest me. If they are powerful enough to banish a pony to the moon, then perhaps they can be used to free me from my binds.'

"So what happened to the Elements of Harmony?" Radiance asked, as if reading Adam's thoughts. "If you have such a powerful magic, then defeating the changelings would have been easy." Celestia bit her lip before answering, though she did notice that Adam looked slightly confused at the changeling bit.

"After banishing my sister to the moon, I was weak...broken," Celestia explained.

'And it seems that nothing has changed in those thousand years.'

"And in my broken state, I could no longer feel the connection to the Elements as I once did, so I hid them in a place that nopony would think to look until they were needed again," Celestia said sadly. Radiance looked like she wanted to hear more, but Sunnysmiles let out a yawn before blinking tiredly. "But that is enough of the past for tonight. The two of you must be tired and it is far too late for young fillies as yourselves. Come now, time for bed. And Teth, please wait here. I wish to talk to you." Teth snarled at the way she spoke to him so carelessly, but with nothing else to do he sat down and waited for whatever the fool wished to talk to him about.

"Now both of you sleep soundly, we're going to have a big day tomorrow," Celestia said to the two fillies as she tucked them into their bed. Sunnysmiles let out a soft yawn as well as a cough before she snuggled into her covers and closed her eyes, the soft snores that came from her a moment later told Celestia that she was asleep.

"What's happening tomorrow?" Radiance asked as she was tucked in as well.

"Well, I'm thinking that it's time that we take your training to the next level, but I'm also considering having another student besides you," Celestia said as she gently kissed Raidance on the head before doing the same for Sunnysmiles. "But in news that the land will probably care more about, I'm going to properly introduce Teth to the world. Rumors have already begun to spread and I want them to know that he won't be a problem."

"He's already a problem and he can't even talk," Radiance said with a smirk before closing her eyes as well. "But he did save my sister, so I guess he's not all bad. Just a pain." Celestia smiled at her daughters before turning and leaving, closing the door behind her as thunder still rumbled outside.

'Banished to the moon for misuse of powers eh? All that means is she wasn't strong enough to fight for her beliefs,' Teth thought to himself, knowing that it had taken the entire Justice League to bring him down and even then he had brought some of them with him before he had fallen. If he had fallen to Celestia and her...Elements, he would have left the planet himself and never returned from shame. He heard the door opening behind him and he slightly turned his head to see Celestia enter.

"Hello Teth," Celestia said kindly, only to get another sneer from Adam as he turned to look at the storm. Celestia sighed before walking in front of him and placing herself between him and the window, much to the human's annoyance. "I am sorry to be so pushy, but you are going to have a big day tomorrow. The ponies of Equestria have heard rumors of a human being held in the castle and already they are clamoring to at least see you. So tomorrow I give them what they want and give them a chance to meet you." She flinched slightly from the daggers Teth glared at her, but she cleared her throat and continued talking. "I will explain everything that you have told us to them so you don't have to say...write anything, but you will have quill and parchment in case you need to speak."

'If only I could speak, Celestia, then you would not be so flippant in your words to me,' Teth snarled before he got up and walked past her to the doors to leave.

"Teth?" Despite not caring what she wanted, Teth stopped for a moment, though he did not turn around to face her. "Thank you for protecting Sunnysmiles the other day. What I made Radiance do, was foolish to try with such an inexperienced pony, and I could have gotten both of them hurt. And I know that you don't care for any of us, but they...mean so much to me. Even though I've only known the two a short time, they already feel like family. Like they can help to heal up a hole in my chest that has been there ever since I lost my sister."

Teth knew that feeling all too well, though when he had found the man that had taken his family away from him, he had made sure that there was a hole where his heart used to be as well. He glared back at Celestia, as if asking why was she wasting his time with these words, causing the white alicorn to sigh.

"I just wanted you to know that your actions are appreciated and that one day...I will pay you back for saving her," Celestia said softly. Teth flung open the doors after she said this and walked to his quarters, not caring about Celestia or her promise to help him. She had already shown that she couldn't repair his voice and there was nothing else he wanted from the ponies. He felt pain begin to burn along his limbs again and with a silent growl he picked up the green vial, taking some of the medicine and placing it along his wounds.

'What could she possibly offer me that I could not just take, once my voice has returned?' he thought to himself as he lay down on the bed and stared at the images drawn onto the ceiling. 'I have no need for anything they can offer. All I have, all I need, is my revenge. And once I have that, I will need nothing else.'

He turned his head and looked over at the table that rested beside the bed, where he found that the cookies and the drink that Sunnysmiles had brought for him earlier were still there. He went to turn away from them, before his stomach grumbled a bit, and he realized with a snarl that since he was no longer enchanted he now had to eat and sleep to stay alive. Despite his protests, he reached over and took the snacks, hesitating for a moment before he bit down on one and ate it.

'It will suffice for now,' he thought as he finished both the snacks and the drink off quickly, before leaning back onto the bed and closing his eyes. 'I suppose that they are not entirely as useless as I thought. I will still not regret being rid of them first chance I can get.'

====S=H=A=Z=A=M====

"Hey, Radiance!" Sunnysmiles yelled happily as she jumped up and down on her sister's chest, causing the white unicorn to throw her sister off of her before grumbling something as she tried to get back to sleep. "Awe, come on Sis, don't be like that! Today's the day that Celestia is going to show Teth off to the ponies of Equestria! Everypony for miles is going to be there!"

"Good. Maybe somepony will buy him and get him off our hooves," Radiance mumbled before she rolled over again. Sunnysmiles leapt off the bed and pulled back the blinds to their room, allowing the golden rays of the sun to bathe the room with their warmth. Radiance let out a groan as she figured the battle for sleep was lost, and she slowly sat up to get tackled by her sister. The two wrestled on the floor for a moment before Celestia knocked on the door and entered, smiling at the two as they rolled around on the floor.

"Come now you two, you have to get ready," Celestia said as she lifted the both of them off the floor with her magic and dusted them off. "The two of you are going to be at your first regal appearance today and you need to look your best."

"Regal appearance?" Radiance asked as Celestia helped them get ready for the day. "But neither of us are royalty."

"You are my daughters now," Celestia said with a kind smile as she helped Sunnysmiles fight her mane down so it didn't stick out like she had been struck by lightning. "Which does make you royalty. In fact, it seems that a lot more of the news and press ponies are showing up to see you instead of Teth. You're going to be all over the papers." Sunnysmiles let out a squeal of excitement as Radiance looked up at Celestia with disbelief in her eyes.

"We're going to be princesses?" she asked, with a hint of joy under her shocked tone.

"Well, technically I'm still a princess, so I guess that would make you...actually I'm not sure what that would make the two of you," Celestia said with a shrug before turning to leave. "But that doesn't matter right now. Right now there are a large number of ponies in the throne room who would love to meet the newest royalty in Equestria. So come on, let's go introduce yourselves."

Protector of the Future

'There are certainly a lot of these annoyances,' Adam thought to himself, as hundreds of flashes went off from cameras that the press had brought to the event. Hundreds of ponies had shown up to see the two new foals that Celestia had taken on, but none of them had really believed the story about the human staying at the castle--until they had seen Teth walk out next to the throne with the rest of the royalty. 'And from their faces, it seems that they have never even conceived the thought of superior life in the cosmos. Simpletons.'

"Isn't this so cool, Teth?" Sunnysmiles asked, standing beside him, soaking in all the attention with a huge smile as she waved to all of the ponies in the main hall. Radiance was waving as well, but Teth did not need to glance at her to tell that she was not enjoying the attention as much as her little sister.

"At least try to smile, Radiance, this is a big day for the ponies of Equestria," Celestia whispered to the foal, who rolled her eyes before putting on the fakest smile that Teth had seen. "Attention ponies of Equestria! Today is truly a great day for our kind! I would like to introduce you all to my two daughters, Sunnysmiles and Radiance!" The crowd applauded as Sunnysmiles bowed with a laugh while Radiance barely moved her head, the attention making her uncomfortable. "Now, while they have not been with me long, they are already like family to me. I expect them to be treated as if they were blood related."

"Princess Celestia?" one of the ponies with a reporter's hat asked in the snooty accent that Teth was certain all reporters had, "We love seeing the future of Equestria, really we do, but right now everypony in this room is waiting for that very interesting specimen on your right there to say something to us." The crowd began to murmur as Teth felt all eyes rest on him, the ponies waiting with baited breath for him to say something or do anything.

"Very well, I suppose it is time you have all been introduced," Celestia said with a warm smile as she used one of her wings to push Adam forward a bit, turning back to the crowd before she could see his glare. "Ponies of Equestria, this is the human that I have told all of you about. This is Teth!" The ponies applauded, but most of the applause was half-hearted, telling Teth that they were waiting for him to speak to them. When he said nothing, Celestia cleared her throat and stepped forward. "Teth does not speak, as I have found out recently. So if you ask him any questions, do not expect much of an answer."

"Is that because he's too shy or too stupid?" the pony asked. The crowd all laughed at this statement and even Celestia let a thin smile cross her face, until she looked over at Teth and saw the murder that was flashing in his eyes. She followed his gaze, as he quickly looked over at the spear being held in a guard's hoof, and she realized what he was thinking.

"I believe that is enough for today about Teth, and he probably has better things that he wishes to be doing right now," Celestia said with a nervous laugh while she placed a wing behind him, right as he went for the spear, and hurriedly ushered him past all of the ponies and out of the room, where she closed the door behind her before looking up at Teth. "Teth, what were you thinking? Attacking the ponies that you've just met is not acceptable."

'I would kill to have my voice right now,' Teth thought as he glared at Celestia, before a small smirk crossed his face. 'Actually, I would kill all of the reporters in that room for free.' Celestia saw that he felt no guilt for his actions, so she sighed and looked at him with a more regal look.

"Teth, please return to your room and stay there until the meeting with the ponies is over. I do not need an incident with the first human--along with everything else that I'm going to have to deal with." Teth scowled at her ordering him around, but he fought back the desire to pulverize her as he coldly turned and headed towards his chambers. Celestia shook her head before turning to open the doors and return inside, where the cameras and the questions started up again.

"Princess, what about the changeling problem in the south? How are you going to deal with that?" Celestia sighed, knowing that those kinds of questions would have come up eventually. So, with a sigh she began to talk about how the battle with the changelings had been going and how many had been lost.

"...And currently, we do not have any solid leads on where the changelings might strike next, but know that our greatest warriors are out there right now looking for them," Celestia said to the crowd, not surprised by their less than stellar reaction to the news. A number of ponies cried out--some of them even going so far as to say that this would never happen under Luna's rule, but with a flash of light from her horn Celestia silenced them all.

"Radiance. Sunnysmiles. Mother is about to talk politics with these ponies and I do not believe that either of you would find it interesting," Celestia said in a very calm tone, but the two sisters smiled at each other because they knew that the reporters there were in trouble now. "Guards, please take them out of the room." The guards next to the princess nodded and ushered the two out of the room, where they began to talk to each other.

"I want to go see Teth. He didn't look too happy after what those ponies said about him," Sunnysmiles said with a frown. "They were so mean."

"Well, Teth wasn't exactly going to be nice to them either," Radiance replied with a smirk. "Did you see the way he went for the spear? I think he would have gutted everypony in the room given the chance." The two continued to talk until they reached a hallway where the reporter with the hat was resting against the wall, smiling as he saw the girls and walked over to them.

"Hello there, future rulers of Equestria, do you have a moment for an interview?" he asked them with a friendly smile, but the three guards moved themselves between the reporter and the girls.

"Move along buddy, before this has to get rough," the bigger of the guards said to the pony, who simply smiled up at them.

"Aw, come on now, I really need to talk to one of them," he said.

"Move along. Now."

"Sorry, but I need to talk to them." Faster than any of the guards could react, a black blade slipped out from under the reporter's outfit and he slashed the biggest guard right across the throat, sending him to the floor immediately. The other two yelled as they tried to drive their spears into the reporter, but he flipped over them as two bug-like wings shot out of his back. He drove the blade down through another guard's shoulders before taking out the blade and throwing it through the heart of the last guard, who collapsed to the floor without a sound. "Well that was easy enough. Now to--"

His words were cut off as a blast of magic sent the reporter sprawling across the floor and into the wall, where he picked himself up to see an enraged Radiance with her horn aglow standing in front of her sister. The reporter smiled at the two before a flash of green fire went off and a black, insect-like creature stood where the reporter had once been.

"If you try to do anything to either of us, I swear I will--" With a speed Radiance didn't believe to be real, the changeling threw itself forward and tackled her to the floor, smacking her across the face to daze the unicorn, before turning to go after her sister.

"Sorry to be so rude, but Chrysalis really wants to meet the two of you," the changeling said as he grabbed Sunnysmiles and picked up his hat, holding the struggling filly while he walked over to her dazed sister. Before he could pick her up however, a spell with more power in it than anything he could muster screamed by him, blowing out a hole in the castle wall beside him. "Oh hell," he muttered as he turned to see Celestia barreling down the hallway towards him, sheer wrath in her eyes.

"Not good," the changeling muttered as he threw Sunnysmiles at the oncoming Alicorn, before picking up Radiance and putting the blade to her throat. "If you value her life Celestia, you will do nothing! Stand down!" The princess caught Sunny with her magic, but that was all she did as she glared with venom at the changeling, who began to slowly back away down the hall. He kicked open the first door he saw and backed into it, still holding the blade at the pony's throat. 'Things have really gone to hell,' he thought as he put the hat on his head. 'This was supposed to be a simple snatch and grab, but nopony told me that this brat could use magic like--'

Time came to a stop as he felt something cover his face, giving him enough time to move his eyes down to see what it was. It had five fingers and placed itself right over his muzzle, though the pinkish color confused him for a moment. He was also vaguely aware of something else on the back of his head before everything went dark.

SNAP!

Teth Adam smirked as he snapped the creature's neck and spun its head around to look at him, relishing the fear in its eyes before it died. It fell to the floor without another sound, and its hat fell off of its head and fell to the floor with its owner, allowing Adam to recognize whose neck he had just snapped.

'Today has been a good day,' he thought to himself as he picked up the corpse and the blade that the corpse had been carrying, feeling the weight of the sword in his hand and figuring that it would do for now. He walked past Radiance, who was starting to recover her senses, and opened the door to the room, where he saw pretty much every guard in the castle and Celestia standing outside the door, all weapons pointed at him.

"Teth?" Celestia asked in confusion, looking from him to the dead changeling in his hands. The pieces clicked into place for her just as Teth threw the body to the floor at her hooves, where he moved aside to let Celestia see Radiance getting back up to her hooves. "RADIANCE!" Celestia ran by Teth and wrapped her daughter in her wings, Teth looking at their embrace for a moment before he looked to the guards, noticing that the reporters were standing behind them with just as stunned faces.

'And that makes it a perfect day,' Adam thought as he used the sword to point to the body of the changeling and then to them, a wicked smile crossing his face before he turned and headed back into his room, letting Sunnysmiles pass him as she ran into the room and tackled her sister. Teth then turned to face the ponies one last time before slamming the door in their faces.

====S=H=A=Z=A=M====

"Princess Celestia, not that I'd doubt your infinite wisdom considering how long you have been alive, but are you sure this is the wisest idea?" Pageturner asked the princess from across her desk, looking at the papers she had given him with shock. "I mean, there are hundreds of ponies that are far more qualified to be bodyguards than a human who cannot even speak. Please, just give me the word and I will--"

"Yet out of all the hundreds of "qualified guards," Teth was the only one who managed to stop the changeling that somehow managed to sneak into my castle and take my daughter hostage," Celestia said in a cold tone, that told her advisor that there was a raging fire beneath that calm. "Teth, in the few days that he has been here, has already saved the lives of both of my daughters. I trust him as much as any guard."

"But Princess--"

"Enough. My mind is made up," Celestia said in a tone that told her advisor that this discussion was over. "Now then, on to the next topic. As much as I enjoy teaching Radiance alone, I think the time has come that I take on an apprentice from Canterlot to train alongside her. Radiance spends all of her time by herself, reading or practicing, and she could use a friend. Send these fliers across town and let the ponies know that I will be choosing a second disciple." Pageturner bowed before leaving the room with a shake of his head, so lost in thought that he never even noticed Teth walk by him into the room.

"Ah Teth, thank you for coming on such short notice," Celestia said with a friendly smile as she floated a chair over for Adam in which to sit, though he remained standing. "With everything that has transpired recently, I haven't had time to talk to you about what happened the other day...or to thank you for once again saving my daughter's life."

'It seems that I'm the only one around here who can get anything done,' Teth thought to himself with a bit of heat, but his face remained calm and emotionless.

"You may not know this, but the ponies that were killed by the changeling were the royal guards for both me and my daughters." Celestia could have sworn that Teth had to resist the urge to laugh at her calling them the royal guard. "While I do not need protecting due to my power and mostly immortal nature, my daughters are in constant danger, if these past days have shown me anything." Celestia stood up and walked over to a cabinet, which she opened, and she pulled something out of it. "That is why I have decided to make you the royal bodyguard for my daughters," she said as she turned around, holding a white cape with gold trimming in her magic.

'And now I regret snapping that fool's neck...a little,' Teth thought to himself with a scowl. 'I do not wish to watch over those two imbeciles, for I will never get any rest. They will kill themselves by the end of the month no matter how many guards you station around them.' She floated the cape over to him and he looked at it for a good minute, knowing that if he took it he would be dooming himself to watching over those idiots. 'But that would allow me to see more of their magic and allow me to go wherever I want without being questioned.' He took the cape with a snarl and draped it over his back, amazed at how well it seemed to fit him. He turned to leave before Celestia stopped him with a cough.

"Teth...I know that you don't like us. I know that something happened on your home to make you this way, and whatever it is must have been terrible. But know that I speak the truth when I say this: that I truly appreciate what you have done for us in the short time you've been here," Celestia said with tears starting to form in her eyes. "I lost my parents when I was young, lost the love of my life in a horrible battle thousand of years ago, and had to banish my sister to the moon to save my nation. So if I were to lose my daughters as well...I do not know if I could go on. So thank you, truly, for saving them."

Teth turned and left the room as she said this, walking down the darkened hallway by himself as the moon shone through the windows. He felt the cape rippling behind him as he walked, and he was reminded of just how much he had missed his godly form, from the lightning bolt on the front to his own cape which he often wore.

'This is getting me nowhere,' Teth thought as he walked, noticing that the cape he wore apparently caused any guards he walked by to salute him as he passed. An improvement. 'I still cannot speak and there is still vengeance that needs to be wrought upon those who have destroyed my home and taken everything from me.' He walked past Sunnysmiles' and Radiance's room as he thought this, and he stopped when he heard the two playing around, despite it being past 'lights out'. He looked through the crack in the door to see Sunnysmiles resting against her sister as Radiance read to her by the light cast from her horn.

'Like my family, my children,' Teth thought to himself as he left the two alone, figuring that Celestia could deal with them. He silently walked around the hallways, not sure himself where he was going. But he could hear the laughter in his ears, the laughter of his wife and of his children...and the sounds of his once great nation as they all lived. 'I will find a way to avenge you all. That is my promise. That I will get back at you, Shazam, exact my revenge on you in such a way that you will never be able to recover from it. Mark my words.'

He entered his room as he said this and looked at the blade that was resting against the side of the wall, taking it in his hands and balancing it. Then he walked through the halls until he reached the empty garden, where nopony was there to watch him. 'But I have gotten too used to my powers, and now in this land I must learn to fight without them. It is time to see if I still remember what I was taught five thousand years ago.' With blade in hand, he began to train, and the longer he did so, the more the memories of days past returned to him...when he was a young warrior who wanted to protect his nation; when he trained day and night to battle the foes of his people to keep them safe. Of the days before he had spoken that word...

If any of the guards had been there to witness his skill, they would have been amazed that a human could move with such fluidity and grace; that a blade could slice as silently through the air as his did. But as he fought the mentally-created heroes that he had battled on Earth, Adam also began to nurture a thought that he had not wanted to consider.

'What happens if my voice never returns?' he thought to himself as he battled the air, striking it with just as much intensity as if Superman or Shazam was right in front of him. 'Do I subject myself and the rest of my days as servants to these two foals, having to watch over them day and night? It is an insult, a disgrace, to the name Adam!' After what felt like hours he finally allowed himself to rest, allowed himself to feel tired at his mortal body's weakness.

'But is this not almost the same task as the one you had back on Earth? Protecting the weak with your might, being a champion that would slay any that tried to strike down the innocent, like those who had struck down your family all those years ago when you first became the Mighty Adam?' The thought came out of nowhere, but it was treacherous--distracting Teth from his loyalty to his family and country.

'It is not the same!' Adam roared inside of his own mind as he doubled his efforts, attacking with a renewed ferocity. 'Those were my own people! People who looked up to me and saw me as a hero that would keep them safe! These ponies know nothing of the hardships that I have gone through or the foes that I have battled to keep my home safe. I flew for five thousand years to return home to save them! These ponies do not deserve my protection!'

'Then why save them?'

'That is enough,' Adam thought when he couldn't think of an answer. 'I know who I am and I know what my mission is. To restore my powers and to return to Earth to enact my revenge upon all those who had wronged me and my people. I do not care what you try to tell me, whatever you are, but I remain loyal to those who earned it...to protect those that I call 'family'. Now leave me to my work.' The voice never returned as Teth resumed practicing, but no matter how hard he trained, the spoken words would not leave his mind.

====S=H=A=Z=A=M====

Deep beneath the castle, farther down than even Celestia knew existed, sat a single pony who listened to every word that was being said in the palace, every idea or plan that was passed back and forth from the princess to her guards--and it sickened him. That Celestia, the supposed ruler of Equestria, was so weak that she had to rely on a human, a petty human, to protect her own children despite her being able to lift the sun and the moon with no effort.

"But that will not last for long," the pony said to himself as he opened a tome and placed it on the dusty table that lay in front of him, slipping through the pages as he searched for what would bring him his dream, a dream that only he had. "Without her sister, Celestia is weak and will be easy to crush. The human poses as much of a threat as her guards. But until she reveals the location of the items, the items that I require to complete my vision, then I must settle for being the humble servant." The pony then moved to another area, where a large number of scrolls lay on a shelf labeled, "the multiverse."

"But just like all great leaders, I must remain patient if I am to complete this plan--no matter how many years it may take."

Repayment

Teth snarled at Sunnysmiles for the fifth time in less than an hour as the little filly tried to get him to play with her. 'Left here while Celestia and the other annoyance go to find another mouth that will bother me to no end.' His eyes warily looked around at all of the ponies that gawked at the two as they walked down the Canterlot streets, Adam glaring at all who tried to make eye contact with him.

"Teth, stop scaring the ponies. And try to smile for once, you're always frowning!" Sunny said as she hopped along in front of him, waving to all of the ponies. Teth sneered in reply as he felt his hand grip the hilt of the changeling blade a little tighter.

'Any of these ponies could be one of those insects in disguise and yet you continue to treat them as if you trust them all,' Teth thought to himself as he had to pull her away from a group of other fillies. 'There is a war going on and you are the daughter of the ruler of this land. You should carry yourself as such.'

"You are this worlds biggest killjoy, you know that?" Sunnysmile frowned at him when he stopped her from going into a store, Teth giving her a cold glare in response. "Come on, loosen up, have some fun!" Instead of having fun, Adam turned his head to look back at the castle, a little curious about how the disciple process was going. He knew that if he were to choose someone to be a worth successor to him that was blood related, they'd have to be strong, courageous and willing to do anything to protect the people.

'But since this is Celestia she'll probably choose her disciple based on whether or not they have a magic cutie mark,' Teth said with a scowl, hating that term. He hated a lot of the ponies words and how they described things. Cutie marks, magic of friendship and that damned annoying anypony.

"Come on Teth, how about we get something to eat?" Sunnysmiles asked, snapping Teth out of his thoughts as he looked down at her. "Even humans that can't smile need to eat and besides, Celestia that I have something called a tab that pretty much let's me get anything I want and then she pays for it. Come on, my treat!" She shot off before he could stop her and for a moment he was tempted to let her go, but it would not benefit him in the long run if she was injured or killed.

'Think of your revenge, think of what they took from you,' Teth thought as he closed his eyes. 'Think of why you are suffering through this indignity.' The ponies bowing to him as he entered the establishment that Sunny had run into gave him some satisfaction, but when she waved him over to a table in the center of the room he took on his stoic demeanor.

"Do you want me to order you something?" she asked once the waiter walked over. Adam was disgusted by most of the food he saw and pointed at the water. "Okay, he wants the hay fried and the coco mountain!" The waiter scurried off at the look Adam gave both him and Sunny. "Aw, don't be that way. You need to eat!"

'Shazam. Shazam. SHAZAM!' The waiter returned (smartly brining Teth the water he had pointed to as well as what Sunny had ordered) before running off again, leaving the two to their meal.

"Really? Not going to even try it?" Sunnysmiles asked as he simply drank his water in silence, scowling every time she offered him some food. "You're a sourpuss. You can't be so dark and mean all the time, it doesn't do anyopony any favors. Mom told me that there's a reason you act like this but you could still try to be a little brighter." She pouted as he ignored her before stuffing her face with fries, frowning at Teth when he had finished drinking and raised an eyebrow at her with a smirk that told her off.

"Y'know, I've been orphaned since as far back as I can remember and yet I manage to be kind and nice to others," she said with some heat, her kind demeanor breaking down in front of Teth's flippancy. "Yes there's still pain, but even though I hurt I decided that the world could use some more smiles and laughter." Teth's face showed that he wasn't impressed and Sunny's frown grew longer. "Geez, I'd be surprised if you had an friends the way you act, let alone a family."

Ponies around them stopped eating and talking as they slowly felt the air in the room change. Sunny felt it too and she looked up from her food at Teth, who remained motionless in his chair. But despite his face showing no signs of emotion, there was a fire in his eyes. He slowly moved to stand up but at that moment the entire building began to shake, throwing ponies and utensils everywhere. On instinct Teth tackled himself and Sunny to the floor until the room had stopped shaking.

"Come on!" she yelled as she broke free of his grasp and raced outside, Adam wording a silent curse as he ran out after her. He was about to grab her by the back of her neck and drag her up to the castle when he was stopped dead by what he saw in the sky, just like all of the other ponies around him.

"A sonic rainboom! Holy Celstia, it's an actual sonic rainboom! Oh come on, you don't know what that is?" she asked Teth in disbelief when he looked down from the rainbow colored circle in the sky. "It's when a pony goes so fast that they break the sound barrier and create a massive explosion! But nopony has done it in so long!" Teth looked from her up to the fading sonic boom, wanting to scoff at her words but the proof of what she said was in front of him.

'I never thought that such a pathetic species could reach such speeds,' Adam thought with scorn as the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves at what they had seen. 'But that means that these ponies can do things that I did not believe possible. Maybe they truly can remove this cursed magic. And maybe if they can, I will not destroy them.' With renewed confidence flowing through him Teth picked up Sunnysmiles and carried her back to the castle, ignoring her complaints as he began to think out how he would get back to Earth.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"I can't believe that I actually get to meet him!" Twilight squealed excitedly as she hopped alongside Radiance, who shook her head at her newest classmate. "The human! The talk of all of Equestria! And you're a friend of his! That is so awesome!"

"I wouldn't be so excited if I were you. He doesn't really do anything besides watch us," Radiance said to her classmate with a small smirk. "And he scowls, but that's about it...don't think you two will get along that well."

"But still! A human! They were just supposed to be myths!" Twilight practically screamed, causing the guard who was escorting the pair into the castle to jump slightly. "Think of all the stories he has about his world! How many humans do you think there are? I bet at least a million!"

"While that would be cool, Teth can't talk," Radiance pointed out, raining on Twilight's parade. She still gasped as the three walked around a corner and almost bumped into Teth and Celestia, the latter of the two smiling down at the pair of fillies.

"P-princess Celestia!" Twilight cried out as she practically threw herself to the floor. Radaince chuckled at her classmate as she bowed as well. Twilight's eyes then went wide as they rested upon Teth, who looked at the pair with narrowed eyes.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! You're the human!" Teth nodded slowly, not liking how this pony looked at him.

"Going to pick up my sister?" Radiance asked Celestia, who nodded with a gentle smile.

"Yes, and also discussing what to do about the changelings--with Teth," Celestia added as she motioned for the pair to join her. "Well, more like me telling him what my plans were. Though he doesn't seem to like any of them so far."

'They are juvenile and pathetic,' Adam thought as he scowled down at the purple filly that kept trying to touch him. The group walked through the streets of Canterlot to the school where Sunnysmiles attended, Teth watching as ponies all around them bowed as they walked through the streets.

"So Radiance, have you decided what to name your new dragon?" Twilight asked her friend excitedly.

"No, and I'm not sure how I feel about having a dragon hatchling in my life," Radiance said with a small shake of her head. "I mean, shouldn't we be putting the guy with his own kind, Mom?"

"Well...tensions have been high with the King of the Dragons and his race," Celestia hesitantly said, getting Teth to raise an eyebrow. "We're not at the point of war or anything, but he has made it clear that he doesn't want any ponies in his land. His son has made it clear that he doesn't like ponies in general."

'Is there any race in this land that isn't about to wage war against you?'

"Ugh, so when the king kicks the bucket, we're going to have to deal with his son, aren't we?" Radiance asked her mother, who nodded with a sigh. "Isn't that how this whole war with the changelings got started? Their king died and Chrysalis decided to attack us? Geez, why does everypony have a problem with us?"

'You're useless, a pain, and damn annoying.'

"Hey, how about Spike?" Twilight interjected, having missed most of the conversation as she tried to think up a name. "I mean, what else are you going to call a purple and green dragon?"

Radiance thought about it for a moment before she shrugged. "Sure, I can live with calling him Spike. What about your red and gold one?" The two went back and forth until the group reached the school entrance, where Sunnysmiles burst out of the front doors and over to them with a huge smile.

"Hi Mom! RadianceMomTethandTwilight," she said in one breath as she tackled Celestia's legs for a hug. "You said that you were going to take us to Ponyvile today right? So we can see the town?"

"Yes, my dear, but we must hurry if we are to get to the station on time," Celestia said with a giggle as she lifted Sunnysmiles onto her back, looking to Radiance who held up a hoof to stop her. "Twilight, would you like to come with us?"

"Of course!" Twilight said with a squeal as she took off ahead of them. Radiance followed her along with Celestia and Sunnysmiles. Sunny looked back to find that Teth was rooted firmly in place, giving the both of them a look.

"Uh oh, Mom, Teth's got his grumpy face on," Sunny teased, getting Celestia to turn around to look at him. He pointed to the castle and then made a motion with his hand like he was signing something, before pointing to her and then to the castle again.

"Oh right, I'm supposed to meet with my advisors about the tax in the land," Celestia muttered to herself before she shrugged and took off with a smile. "Oh well, it's not like this will be the first time that I've missed a meeting with them!" Teth couldn't believe that she'd just run off like that, but with a silent snarl he followed them to the train station. The group got the tickets and boarded the train (Celestia practically having to force Teth on board), where Sunny and Twilight sat by the window, while Celestia giggled at the glare Teth was giving her.

"Oh don't be like that, this won't take long," she teased with a playful smile, as Twilight started to play 'catch the spell' with Radiance. Teth once again shook his head and looked out the window of the train to watch the land as they passed by it, not wanting to look at the ponies that he was certain were watching him. The ride seemed to go on forever despite it having only been ten minutes, partially due to the fact that Sunnysmiles would not sit down or shut up the entire ride.

'Ignore her, you have dealt with far worse in the past,' Teth had to remind himself. 'Just focus on your revenge and all will be--' Before he could finish his thoughts, a massive explosion knocked the train with enough force to drive it right off of its tracks, sending the screaming train through a number of trees before it came to a stop in a meadow.

"Is everypony alright!?" Celestia yelled out, once she had made certain her daughters and Twilight were safe. When she knew that the ponies were okay, she started to use her magic to help those who had been hurt before a buzzing sound reached her ears. "Oh Faust, no. Teth! With me! The rest of you stay inside the cars and do not move!" Drawing his blade as he ran, Teth followed Celestia out of the wrecked train and into the meadow.

'They are persistent, I will allow them that.' A large number of changelings, some far bigger than the others, awaited them on the meadow's grass. They said no words but let loose a loud buzzing before charging at the two.

"Stay back Teth, I will-!" Celestia started before two of the larger ones tackled her to the side, forcing Teth to fend off three of the smaller ones by himself. They attacked him with ferocity, but their strikes and their bodies were struck down with cold and calculated precision by Teth's blade. He removed one of their heads from its shoulder before driving his knee into the gut of another one, impaling it a moment later with ease.

'These creatures are not so strong once their movements are revealed,' he thought silently as he watched them carefully, smirking as he discovered that all of them fought similarly. Two more fell to his blade before he felt a great weight tackle him from behind, driving him into the ground. He snarled as he spun around to attack, but his blade was knocked away by an armored hoof, which then placed itself on his throat.

"So you are the human that killed our spy?" the changeling asked him with a gruff chuckle as Teth struggled to remove the hoof, feeling the oxygen starting to leave him. "Please, I've killed rats more dangerous than you." He pressed down with his hoof and Teth felt his vision begin to blacken, then air came rushing back into his lungs as a blast of magic knocked the changeling off of him.

"Get away from him," Radiance snarled as she pointed her glowing horn at the changeling, who brushed off the attack with a chuckle as he slowly began to advance towards the small pony. Sunnysmiles and Twilight hid behind her, but Radiance refused to back away as the far larger opponent towered over her. "Last chance to back away."

"You've got guts. Too bad I've got to crush you," he said with a snarl, before screaming, as the black blade pushed itself through his throat. Teth spun the blade to slice the changeling's head off before he fell to his knees, holding his throat as he looked at Radiance through the corner of his eyes.

"You saved me and my sister. I owe you," Radiance said with a bit of bashfulness in her voice. "Besides, I guess that over time I've come to...tolerate you a bit more than I did before." Teth wasn't sure how to respond to what she had just said, but he was saved from answering by a blast of magic to his back that sent him skidding across the ground. Radiance threw up a barrier around her and the others as changelings began to bombard the three with magic.

'Get up! You are stronger than this!' Teth screamed inside of his mind as he forced himself to his hands and knees, barely able to see through the pain. He turned his head slightly to see another changeling about to impale him on his own blade, but he was saved when crimson magic struck the changeling and blasted it into ash. Teth struggled back to his feet as Celestia landed besides him, bleeding slightly but looking otherwise unharmed.

"I am sorry," she whispered down at the ash pile, before sending a bolt of magic that blasted the other changelings away from her daughters and Twilight. Once they were safe, she turned her attention to Teth, horror in her eyes when she saw the magic burn on his back. "Teth, you are injured. You need to get away from here and--" More changelings began to swarm towards the group, giving Teth just enough time to bend down and grab the blade that was at his feet. He then gave Celestia a smirk before charging back into the fray, tackling a changeling and driving his blade through its chest.

"Mom! Sister!" Sunnysmiles cried out as she was grabbed by one of the changelings, which began to carry her away. Teth reacted the fastest and he hurled his blade, throwing it at a perfect arc that clipped the changeling's wings. It fell to the ground and Sunny rolled out of its grasp, giving Teth time to run over to her. But before he could each her the changeling began to glow, causing it to pulse as it buzzed.

"All enemies of the queen shall perish!" it roared. Sunny threw up her hooves to defend herself with a scream as Celestia tried to run over to protect her, but Teth knew that he was the only one close enough to save her. Yet he also knew that the magic about to explode would most likely kill him.

'And until I get my revenge I cannot allow myself to--' Then he looked into her eyes and saw the fear, the same fear that he had seen in his subjects' eyes moments before the blast wiped them out. And his body moved on its own. He threw himself over the small filly as the explosion of magic went off, causing every one of his cells to scream in agony before everything went black.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Teth once again found himself waking up in a bed, but this time he seemed to be in a proper hospital. The first sight that greeted his eyes were the faces of Celestia, Sunnysmiles and Radiance, who had a mixture of relief and concern on them as he awoke. He growled as he tried to sit up, but he found it far more difficult and taxing than it should have been. His body was heavily bandaged and he realized just how weak he felt.

"Teth...oh thank the stars, you're alright," Celestia said softly as she let out a small sigh of relief.

'Odd, I do not feel alright.' His look told them what he was thinking and Celestia hung her head with a sad expression written across her face.

"I know that you must be infuriated at what happened and I will admit, that I too am infuriated with myself. I thought that the changelings would not directly attack me again after I defeated their forces a while back, but it seems, that has simply made them far more desperate." She pulled her daughters in close as she said this, tears forming up in her eyes. "I cannot believe that I nearly lost them again. But just as before, I have you to thank for their safety. Without you, I would have lost the two who matter the most to me."

Teth wanted to make a smart remark, but he found himself unable to do so as he looked upon Celestia holding her daughters close, with a look of relief and gratitude that he knew was directed at him. He could also see the fear, a fear of losing those closest to you in a moment of weakness...a fear that he knew all too well.

"I...owe you my life again Teth," Sunnysmiles said with a smile as she walked over and lightly hugged him. "Thanks for saving me...Mr. Grumpypants." Radiance walked over as well, and while she said nothing, her eyes spoke for her and she hugged him too. Celestia joined in and Teth was forced to push them off of him.

"Come now daughters, I think he needs to rest," Celestia said softly as she used her wings to gently push the two fillies toward the doors, where she stopped and turned back to look at Teth. "I will not forget what you have done for us in such a short time. I am eternally in your debt, Teth, and I will find a way to repay you, be it whatever you ask." She left as she said this, leaving Teth alone with thoughts that he hadn't had before.

'Why did I protect them again? I could have been killed and unable to avenge my people!' Teth thought with a rage at himself, rage because he had almost jeopardized his revenge for a group of ponies. 'Why did I allow myself to do that? Why for a group of horses?!" But even as he raged at himself, he knew the answer already. 'Because I saw that a child was about to be killed; killed despite having done nothing to warrant that kind of attack...just like my people.'

He forced himself to stand up, dragging his pained body towards the window where he could look out across the colorful land, where he could see the ponies of the town. 'And despite what I may think of Celestia, that she is a terrible leader and has no idea how to run a nation, she is still a mother trying to protect her children...her family. Is that...why I agreed to help her? Because I am trying to make up for my failure.'

'And now I am in her debt as well, as she has saved my life a number of times on this day alone. Despite my attitude. Despite me wanting to kill them,' Teth thought uncomfortably as he placed his hand on the glass, his old sense of honor flaring back up again. 'Maybe that is why I help them as I do. Because I see my family, my children in Sunny and Radiance...and some of myself in Celestia, a leader who is trying their best against forces that seek to destroy them.' He felt a wave of weakness wash over him and he hobbled back to his bed, where he lay down and looked at the ceiling.

'I am stuck here with no way to reclaim my voice or any way to return to my home. I suppose that if I am to do anything while I seek an answer, guarding others will suffice. I owe them that much,' Teth silently thought as he closed his eyes. 'At least until I retrieve my powers. Then I will be done with my repayment.'

Harmony and Family

With a sigh, Radiance watched as the Pegasus-drawn carriage pulled farther and farther away from the castle, watching as her best friend was leaving her. "Why did you have to send Twilight to Ponyville, Mom? We still had so much cool stuff we wanted to do before the year ended."

"Because, my dear daughter, Twilight needs to make more friends then you and her brother," Celestia muttered from over at her desk, where she was checking a number of letters, not liking any of them. "And with the Summer Sun Festival coming up, I also sent her down there to help organize the events. Now then, shouldn't you be studying for the Mastery Unicorn Test coming up?" Radiance grumbled to herself as she swished her yellow mane, and she turned and headed back to her desk. With a groan, she looked down at the tomes that she had been studying for the past week.

"So, speaking of the Summer Sun Festival, are you going to Ponyville tomorrow as well?" Radiance asked hopefully, but when she saw Celestia hang her head, she knew the answer already. 'Right, this is also the thousand year anniversary of when she had to banish her own sister to the moon...shouldn't bring this topic up around her.'

"Do you know where your sister and Teth have gotten to?" Celestia asked after an hour of silence. "I told them to be back half an hour ago and they still haven't checked in." Radiance chuckled at her mother's annoyance, since the both of them knew full well that Sunny was one of the least punctual ponies on the planet, and if it weren't for Teth, she would never get anywhere on time. "Ten to one she took the wrong Canterlot train and is now in Applepalosia."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I remember the last time that happened; they were gone for two days and I was worried out of my mind," Celestia groaned as she held a hoof to her head.

"Or, there was that time she disturbed all those maticores when she visited the Everfree Forest," Radiance reminded her mother, who groaned again as she held both hooves to her head. "You gave her the scolding of her life when she got back, but from the way Teth glared at her after he had to fight them off, I don't know which of you was more furious that day. And then there was the time she almost got signed up for the army..."

"She's always had a knack for getting involved in things she shouldn't," Celestia said with a loving chuckle as she thought back on the past ten years of chaos the two fillies had caused her...but also how she wouldn't trade those memories for anything. Then the two heard loud sounds coming from the main hall and the pair raced out to see a golden pony run past them.

"Himomhisistergottaruncan'ttalk!" The two watched Sunny run past them with confusion on their faces before the doors were kicked open, and Teth stalked into the room with wrath burning in his eyes, cowing any of the guards that weren't too busy laughing at how he looked. He was covered in vines and slime, not to mention looking like he had fallen down a mountain.

"Fun day out with Sunny?" Celestia asked with a kind chuckle as she helped remove some of the vines from Teth, while Radiance rolled around on the floor in laughter. The glare Teth gave her told the story, and the princess sighed before using her magic to remove the slime. "I'll talk to her, you go get cleaned up. I take it you had to save her again?" Teth stalked off and Celestia stifled a chuckle at the sight before she turned and headed towards her daughter's room.

"I swear, it wasn't my fault! Those venus fly traps came out of nowhere!" Sunnysmiles stammered the moment Celestia entered the room, taking shelter behind her pillow as she looked beyond her mother for Teth. "Oh, thank goodness, I thought he was going to flail me with the look he had."

"From what I saw of him, he would have had every right to," Celestia joked as she pulled Sunny into a hug. "So, aside from man-eating plants, how was your day?"

"It was pretty good up until then. I think Teth has finally gotten used to our way of life and culture," Sunny said in a near whisper, Celestia gasping with fake surprise at the thought. "I know. I caught him checking out a book on myths and magics past the other day. I think he's trying to learn how to use our magic."

"Why, at the end of the week, maybe he'll finally stop glaring at all who approach us and finally smile." Celestia and Sunny began to laugh together at the thought of Teth smiling, but the laughter quietly died down as Celestia began to think about what tomorrow would be. "But tomorrow, I want you and your sister to stick very close to Teth. I have to do something alone...a promise I made to my sister long ago, so I won't be there to protect you."

"Protect us from what? The changelings haven't attacked in years," Sunny reminded her mother, who stood up with a smile as she motioned for her sister to follow her.

"Yes, but now you need to go apologize to Teth for putting his life in danger again. Come on, no arguing." Sunny hopped off her bed and followed her mother out of the room.

"...yet for some reason, I just can't get this conversion spell to work," Radiance vented to Teth as he sat beside her, looking over the spell book she was studying with disappointment.

'These ponies have such a small grasp of magic. Why are there no spoken words in here?' he thought to himself, while Radiance tried to get the spell to work, attempting to change an orange to an apple. He silently stroked his small beard as he tried to figure out what was wrong with Radiance's spell, since everything looked to be perfect. 'It cannot be Radiance; she has an affinity for magic that I have seldom seen in my own race. Must be something about the book.'

"Argh, I wish Twilight were here. She could always make sense of this stuff," Radiance growled as she slammed the book shut and threw herself onto her bed, levitating random things around her room and making them dance. Teth frowned at her behavior and he picked up the book, throwing it onto her bed and giving her a look. "I'm just taking a break. You don't need to tell me how important this test is."

"I hope not. Just because I'm the one administering it doesn't mean that you'll get a free pass," Celestia said as she entered the room, Sunny hiding behind her mother. "In fact, I'll probably judge you harder, especially if I know that you weren't studying." Radiance gave her an exasperated groan before opening the book and flipping to the page, grumbling to herself while Sunny slowly walked up to Teth.

"Sorry about this morning, Teth," she said weakly, hanging her head at the glare Teth gave her. But after a moment of glaring, he waved his hand at her in a way that she had come to learn meant that he didn't care. She hugged his leg before falling down as she began to cough heavily. Teth and Celestia were immediately at her side as her body was wracked with coughs, which stopped after a minute.

"Are you alright, daughter?" Celestia asked with sheer horror in her eyes as she looked over Sunny. "Do you need to go to the hospital again?" Sunny shook her head while stifling the rest of the coughs, but her eternal smile returned a moment later while she stood up on her own.

"It's alright, it's just a small fit. Nothing serious." Neither Teth or Celestia believed her, but Sunny ran over to her sister to see what she was doing, leaving Celestia worried.

"It's been getting worse," Celestia whispered to Teth, who silently looked at the sisters while they messed with each other. "The doctors have told me that the medicine they've been using to keep the symptoms at bay are starting to wane, meaning that the sickness is only going to get worse." Teth could hear the fear in her voice as she said this, knowing how hard this must be for her--to be powerless while your loved ones were suffering.

"Keep a close eye on them for me," Celestia said to Teth as she turned to exit the room, leaving Teth to shoot her a questioning glace. "I have something that I must check on. My sister and I promised that we would keep...where I'm going safe. So please keep an eye on my daughters. But no matter what happens, do not leave this castle." Teth nodded to assure her as she spread her wings to take to the sky, flying off the balcony and into the rising sun on the horizon.

'Her daughter is sick and her own festival is tomorrow, yet she flies off to wherever this is,' Teth thought, not so much angry as he was curious. 'Whatever it is, it must be very important to the security of her nation if she entrusted these two handfuls to me so easily.' He shook his head to remove his thoughts as he turned back to the girls, both of whom where wrestling on the floor.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Teth wore his famous scowl on his face as Celestia practically pranced around him, happily hopping on her hooves while both Teth and Celestia's daughters looked at her like she was crazy.

"My sister's back! My sister's back! My sister is BACK!" she happily sang as she pranced around, ignoring the looks she was getting. "Oh, I really should go throw a party for Twilight and her new friends, I never knew that they could claim the Elements of Harmony and free my sister from Nightmare Moon!"

"Um, I'm glad that you're happy, but I thought your sister was trapped in the moon?" Sunnysmiles asked Celestia with some slight confusion as Celestia stopped prancing and pulled her two daughters into a hug. "Like, forever?"

"Only for a thousand years," Celestia reminded her as she placed them both in front of her. "I had been hoping that in the thousand years she would get over her rage, not to mention it was the only option I could think of at the time to protect her and the ponies of the land."

"That's where you used the Elements of Harmony for the first time, right?" Radiance asked. Both she and Teth were more interested in the magical artifacts than the fact that Celestia's sister was back. "The most powerful artifacts that were formed by the leaders of all the races at the first meeting of peace?"

'And here I thought you weren't studying,' Teth mused while his thoughts remained on the Elements. He wondered if their power would be enough to free his voice and return his power to him...for his revenge, of course.

"Yes, and now Twilight and her five new friends have their power. Oh, but who cares about that, my sister is back!" Celestia laughed. As if on cue, the doors to the main room opened and an alicorn with a bluish-black coat entered the room, her short, blue mane resting on a head with regret-filled eyes. Her eyes rested upon her sister with a look of sorrow, but then they rested upon Teth with shock and amazement. Before she could ask any questions, she was tackled by her sister, who pulled her into the tightest hug Teth had seen.

"Welcome back, sister Luna!" Celestia happily said as she tightened her hug, forcing Luna to push her off--if she was to breathe. "It has been so long and I've missed you so much!"

"Yes...sister it has been too long," Luna said with a regretful smile while she returned the hug much more gently. "And I see that there are some unfamiliar faces in the castle now. Who are the little ones and the..."

"Human. Teth is a human," Celestia finished for her as she pushed Teth forward with her wing. "This is Teth, a human who somehow ended up in our land. He is the protector of my little family." Celestia smiled when she saw her sister's eyes widen, when Celestia said 'little family,' and the Princess of the Sun pushed her two daughters forward. "Luna, these are my two adopted daughters, Radiance and Sunnysmiles; girls, this is my sister, Luna."

"Nice to meet you, Auntie Moony!" Sunnysmiles said with such an infectious, beaming smile that even a confused Luna returned a genuine smile as well. "I'm the cheerful one around here, in case you haven't guessed. Teth is the grumpy one, and my sister is the smart and magical one."

"I can introduce myself just fine," Radiance cut in as she grabbed her little sister by the face and pushed her back, giving Luna a formal bow before looking up at her. "But as my sister said, I am the more skilled of the two of us. It is nice to meet you, finally, Princess of the Night. Celestia has told us much about you."

"I hope it wasn't anything too bad," Luna said with a weak smile before looking to Teth, who simply stared at her with no emotion on his face. "Hello there, human...Teth. I'm sorry if I do anything to offend you; I've been 'out of the loop' for a while." The tone was joking, but Teth did not change his expression at all.

'Yes, I know all too well about you,' he mused as he crossed his arms, Luna casting a quick glance at her sister when Teth never responded. 'And I know that I cannot trust you.'

"Oh, we forgot to mention that Teth can't talk," Celestia added. "There's a strange magic around his throat that is stopping him from speaking. We've tried for years to get rid of it, but nothing seems to work. However, we've learned to live with it and we figure Teth has as well." Teth made no indication that he was listening anymore, but Luna was aware that he had yet to take his eyes off of her, eyes that were not kind.

"So, it seems that there is a lot for me to catch up on in the thousand years that I've been away," Luna said as Celestia wrapped a wing around her sister and led her through the castle. The daughters followed them, but Teth remained rooted in place with his eyes still narrowed at Luna. But then, his thoughts went back to his voice and the Elements of Harmony.

'If there is any chance of me retrieving my voice and my power, I must speak...communicate with these Elements as soon as possible.' Then he shook his head as he looked down at Sunny, who had come back to him.

"Come on, Teth, the family's not complete without you," she smiled as she grabbed his hand and dragged him along. He let out a silent sigh as he allowed himself to be taken by her, figuring that it was a topic that could wait for another day. He didn't mind waiting a little longer, as long as he was with the family.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"He's so scary," Fluttershy whispered while she hid behind Rainbow Dash as the group looked at Teth, who looked down at the five of them with interest as well as a hint of disdain. They were awaiting Celestia's arrival in the throne room, and so far only Twilight had been brave enough to "chat" with Teth, who was still looking at the five with disbelief. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, along with Twilight, were the legendary Elements of Harmony and wielders of the artifacts.

"Don't worry, he's a pretty good guy," Twilight whispered back. "He just never smiles."

"Or talks, apparently. All ah've seen him do since we got here was look at us," Applejack muttered.

"Total wimp. Could beat him in ten seconds, tops." Teth decided that he was not going to get along with Dash.

"Well, I think he's great!" Pinkie yelled as she tried to get close before Teth caught her and pushed her back, snarling slightly.

'And yet aside from the Elements, it seems that they are hardly any different from the rest of the populace,' Teth mused before pushing the pink one away with his foot once again. 'Except for you, Pinkie. You are a royal pain.' The moment Celestia walked in the room Teth turned and gave her a look of no faith.

"Will you just trust me?" she whispered to him before she stopped in front of the six ponies. "Hello, Elements of Harmony," she said in a regal voice, getting the six of them to bow. "Thank you for coming here on such short notice. First, let me say just how proud I am of all of you, and how you defeated the evil that was Nightmare Moon, freeing my sister."

"Where is Princess Luna?" Twilight asked.

"My sister is being shown around Canterlot by my daughters at the moment, since she needed time to catch up on what she has missed. That should be fun," Celestia chuckled. "But now, I wish to move on to the reason that I have called you to Canterlot. Ever since he arrived here ten years ago, Teth has been unable to use his voice and a powerful magic prevents us from aiding him. But if there is any magic that can break the one around his throat, it is the Elements' magic. Would you please try the Elements on him?"

"Certainly, Princess if that is what you wish," Twilight agreed before nodding to the others, each of whom took up the same stance that they had taken only a few days ago. The magic began to flow between the six of them, lifting the shining ponies into the air as their Elements began to interact with each other's. Teth felt himself growing more nervous as he saw the magic increase in power, but as it was his only chance to remove this magic, he would have to endure.

"Now!" Twilight yelled, and the six all focused the magic onto Teth, who was consumed by the rainbow light. At first he felt fine, the magic almost soothing as it felt his kind nature and his good intentions. But as it went deeper, it found out what he had done--who he was. And it knew he was a threat. Teth screamed as the magic began to tear him apart, burning his skin as it tried to destroy him there.

"No!" Celestia yelled before using her magic to pull Twilight out of the group, cancelling the Elements' power and stopping the attack. "Teth!" she screamed as she raced to his side, where he slowly got up with his clothes smoldering. "I am so sorry! I have no idea...no, the magic on your throat must have been cast by an evil force. The Elements must have been trying to destroy you along with it."

"The Elements can do that?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, but only against forces of true evil," Celestia replied as she helped Teth to his feet, where he was forced to lean against her for support. "I am so sorry that this had to happen. The six of you may spend the rest of the day here however you want, but right now Teth needs treatment. Twilight, please show them out." She turned once Twilight nodded and escorted Teth to the medical room once again.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"And here we are again," Celestia half-joked as she looked over his injuries, sighing in relief when she saw that none of them were that severe. "You are a tough human. Are all of you this tough?" Teth shook his head as he looked down at his hand, thoughts troubling him as Celestia applied medicine to his wounds. "Again, I am sorry about the Elements. I thought that if anything could break the spell it would be--" She stopped as Teth held out his hand and shook his head. He pointed to the door and she got the hint, leaving him alone.

'It is not your fault,' he raged inside of his mind as he flexed his hand, knowing full well why the Elements had decided to attack him. 'You said that the Elements will destroy any force of true evil...and despite all the good I have tried to do in my life, it seems that I have not changed at all. I am still Black Adam, even without my powers.' Teth shook his head as he forced himself back up to his feet and over to the window, looking out at the stars.

'There is enough blood on these hands to drown a nation, but what the Elements failed to grasp about me is that everything I did, I did for the safety of the people...of my people,' he mentally berated himself as he closed his fist, a single tear falling down his face at the thought of all who had died. 'Yet, it was all for naught in the end. I am trapped on this planet and my people are dead. I truly am a failure of a champion. Only Celestia has not seen me as a failure...she and her daughters, the only tolerable ponies on this planet.'

'But, I will prove them all wrong!' the stubborn side of his mind yelled. 'I will show those foolish Elements, the foolish wizard, that I am truly meant to be a Champion of Lightning! That I can be a savior to others! I may have failed with my people, but the wizard gave me another chance, whether he knows it or not! There is so much pain here, pain that I can prevent. Despite what I have done, the innocent have always been under my protection! These ponies will be my people now, and I will protect them as if they were my own!'

The fire was in his eyes again as he looked out at the starry sky, where he pulled his sword out of its sheath and pointed it towards the distance. 'You are wrong about me, all of you! I will show you what it truly means to be a champion! And once I have, I will show you, oh so called heroes of Earth, how badly YOU have failed.' With this new fire in his heart, he turned and left the room, ready to start again like the champion he knew he was.

"Oh, hey," Sunny said weakly as Teth practically stepped on her when he opened the door. He backed up a bit to allow her into the room, noticing that she was carrying a bag of something. Radiance followed her inside as well, Teth wondering how he hadn't seen her, and the two of them sat down on his bed, sympathy in their eyes.

"Celestia told us that the Elements couldn't return your voice," Radiance said. "We're sorry about that." Teth raised an eyebrow as Sunny began to rummage through the bag she had brought.

"So, I made you these in the hopes that you'd feel better," the mare said with a smile as she pulled out a number of small cupcakes. "Okay, Pinkie did help a bit, but I did most the work!"

"Like the cleaning up, after the mess you made," Radiance snarked. Sunny stuck out her tongue at her sister while Teth looked at the two of them, the pair reminding him of how his children used to act. Thinking of his children and watching the two argue, he let the thinnest of smiles cross his face--a smile that neither of them saw.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"Will you at least look like you're having fun?" Celestia whispered to Teth as a number of esteemed guests walked up to the princess and bowed before her, Celestia doing the same, while Adam's scowl made sure that they didn't stick around too long. "I don't mind talking to the ponies, but with you making that face, barely any of them are coming over here. Cut it out."

'This is a waste of time. There are more important things that you should be doing.' Teth could barely hear himself think over the sound of the music and all of the ponies talking, and it annoyed him to no end. The Grand Galloping Gala, as it was called, was supposed to be the greatest party of the year, where ponies from near and far came to party. 'And parties have never been my forte,' Teth thought with a scowl, scaring off another couple.

"That does it. I want you to go into that crowd and try to interact with these ponies without scaring any of them," Celestia said with a laugh as she walked into the crowd and began to chat with some of the party goers, leaving Teth on his own. The ponies were still staying away from him so he decided to get some air, walking into the garden where there were a significantly fewer number of ponies to bother him.

'Say...that is one of the Elements,' he perceived, as he spotted an orange pony with an odd hat behind a stand with apple products. He was feeling somewhat hungry and he graced the orange pony with his presence, who gave him a polite bow when he approached.

"Evening Teth, see something ya like?" she asked as he looked through the food on show, taking two apples before placing the amount of bits needed on the cart. "Thanks for the business, it's been a bit of a slow night."

'I bet it has,' he responded mentally when he turned to leave, but AJ kept on talking.

"Ah'm not really here so much to party, as I am trying to make as much money as I can for my family back home," she said with a frustrated sigh when another pair of ponies walked by her. From the looks they gave Teth, it was more his fault than anything. "This day hasn't been going the way I wanted it to. Ugh, and this was supposed to be the best night ever!" Teth rolled his eyes before placing another bit on the cart to take another apple, glad to see that this bit silenced her and allowed him to walk away.

'Thinking of ponies that are rarely quiet, I have not seen Radiance or Sunny in a while,' he mused, walking by the garden where he caught glimpses of Fluttershy trying to wrangle up the animals in some kind of trap. 'That is a task for the normal guards. But their lack of attendance unnerves me. While the changelings have not attacked in a while, I could see them only pretending to be gone to strike when our guard is down.'

Their room seemed like the best place to check, and he ascended the castle to their chambers, looking down to see what was going on at the party. Dash was apparently not having a great time, Teth had seemed to be AJ's only customer, Pinkie was going insane (again) and Rarity looked like she wanted to kill someone.

'So, a better night than me.' He reached Sunny's chambers first and started to knock on the door, when he heard a sound that he knew was trouble, the sounds of horrendous coughing. His shoulder met the door and his shoulder won, making the door burst open as he stormed into the room, right past the stunned Radiance to Sunny, who was lying on the bed.

"TETH! Thank goodness you're here. I went to find my sister when she didn't show up to the gala, and..." Teth blocked out anything she said at this point while he placed a hand on Sunny's forehead, snarling when he felt her burning up. Her body was still wracked with the coughs that were supposed to have gone away. "I wanted to get Celestia, but I didn't want to leave my sister..." Teth pointed to her and then down to the gala, Radiance running out the door as she got the hint.

"Teth?" Sunnysmiles asked weakly, trying to get a smile on her face as Teth did whatever he could to get the fever down. "I'm not feeling too well. I'm...scared. Am I dying?" Teth couldn't respond as he was working, but with the look Sunny was giving him, he had to avert his eyes and in doing so, answered her question. "Guess...it was only a matter of time...with this cough." Teth closed his eyes before turning as he heard hoofsteps, moving to the side as Celestia ran to her daughter.

"We need to get her to the hospital," she muttered, barely noticing Teth as she lifted Sunny with her magic. "Escort the guests out. I need to deal with this." Teth barely had time to nod to her before she ran out the door and shot off, leaving the man to shake his head sadly.

'She is on borrowed time now. If only I had my power. Then I could save her.'

Black Adam

Citizens screamed as the two god-like beings slammed into each other, kicking up a massive shockwave that sent both parties flying in opposite directions. Black Adam was the first to recover and he hurled himself through the air at speeds that the Flash would envy, slamming into the gray and boney monster with enough force to level the buildings around them. But despite his power and speed, Doomsday did not move.

"End you now!" Doomsday roared as he lifted both hands above his head and drove them into Adam's back, slamming the defender of Kahndaq into the streets. Adam leapt back up with an uppercut that would have taken a lesser creature's jaw off, before unleashing hell--in lightning form--into Doomsday's face, getting the unstoppable to roar in pain as its face was turned to cinders.

"No! You are the only one that will die today!" Adam roared as he drove his knee into Doomsday's gut, sending the creature into the air over his head, where he snarled before yelling, "SHAZAM!" The golden bolt tore through the monster and sent its smoldering body into the ground, but Doomsday began to laugh as it pulled itself up, the hole in its chest healing almost instantly.

"I cannot die. You can." Doomsday tried to slam his fists into the street, but with godly speed Adam hurled himself at the creature and placed himself under his arms, catching them before they could hit the ground.

"You will not cause my people any more pain!" Adam roared as he pushed back against the seemingly endless strength of the monster, finding it at his level of strength. Doomsday struck him a mighty blow with his knee and Adam collapsed to the ground a good hundred yards away, wiping the blood from his mouth as he picked himself up, only to find that he was looking at a soldier with the word "C.A.D.M.U.S." on his uniform.

"You will not save them, Adam," the soldier said. Adam wondered what he meant when he realized what was next to him...A nuclear device. "The world sees you and your nation as dangerous and they've been looking for an excuse to be rid of you. And what's better than the unstoppable monster that they released." Adam reached for the bomb but Doomsday tackled him from behind and pinned him to the ground, forcing him to watch as the man turned the key on the bomb. "Give them war, Teth. Annihilate them all."

The flash of light could be seen from the Watch Tower, telling the heroes of Earth what had just happened. But by the time they reached the flash they found the once great capital of Kahndaq a sprawl of bodies and ruin. And at the center of it all lay a man resting on his knees, sorrow in his eyes as he looked at how he had failed. Then he turned his eyes upon Doomsday, who pulled himself out of the rubble under which he had been buried, and their battled resumed.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Three weeks passed quickly, though for Celestia and Radiance they felt like a lifetime. Sunny was constantly in the hospital, constantly having to be under the care of doctors and nurses who just barely kept her alive. Luna had been placed in charge of the nation while Celestia never left her daughter's side. It was the same with Radiance. The hospital where Sunny was staying was their home now, a place where Celestia heard little of what was going on in the outside world.

"Isn't there anything else we can do?!" Celestia half-screamed at one of the doctors, who looked at Celestia with sympathy in his eyes as he sadly shook his head.

"I am...so sorry, Princess, but this is not a disease that we can combat with our magic or medicines," the doctor said in a well-practiced voice, having told many before the princess the same words. "This disease, while rare, is pretty much fatal to any who contract it. Sunny was lucky to live as long as she did. All we can do for her now is to...make her as comfortable as possible." Radiance hid her tears as best she could while the doctor escorted the pair into Sunny's room, where she turned her eyes towards them, the weakness showing in them.

"Hi Mom, hey Radiance. Not looking too well, am I?" she asked with a weak smile, but still managed to smile nonetheless. Radiance said nothing, choosing to hug her little sister instead while Celestia fought back tears. "Things aren't going well for me. I think...this is it."

"Don't you dare talk that way!" Radiance yelled at Sunny as she pulled her closer, starting to sob despite how hard she was trying to hold the tears back. Sunny gently patted her sister on the back while Celestia went off to talk to more of the doctors. "You have too much of a life to live. You still need to celebrate your thirteenth birthday coming up. I can use my magic! I know a couple of healing spells that I can use to--!"

"Sis...the doctors have tried everything," Sunny said, shaking slightly as she tightened her grip on her sister. Celestia walked back into the room with sorrow written all over her face, and she pulled her two daughters into a hug.

"There has to be something I can do. There has to be--" Celestia released both of them as she shot straight up, racing to the window and looking out of it with horror in her eyes. The sky was pink and the clouds rained chocolate milk, while buildings floated all over the place. Celestia barely had a moment to take it all in before the doors to the room were blasted off and Luna and Teth raced inside.

"Celestia, Discord--he's back," Luna said, her sister blinking as she tried to process this information. "We have to gather the Elements and fight him, before he takes over the world once again!" Celestia knew what this meant and immediately started to follow them before turning back to Sunny, who was coughing once again with sickness written all over her face. For a moment, Celestia was torn between where to go before she looked at Radiance with tears in her eyes.

"Stay with your sister and keep her safe," she said with tears to Radiance before turning and racing off to gather the Elements. "Discord is a god of chaos and one of the most dangerous creatures in our land," she explained for Teth as the three ran to Canterlot tower. "He is insanely chaotic and loves to play with his foes before getting rid of them. And he isn't very nice."

"I had already gathered the mane six and tried to equip them with their Elements, but Discord beat us to them and hid them in a maze. I sent them inside while coming to get you," Luna informed Celestia as they raced into the tower, opening the doors to see that Discord was already floating there, smiling at the three as they entered. "Discord! Why are you still here?! And what have you done with Twilight and the others?!"

"They're on their own now, you foolish princess," Discord said with scorn in his voice as he snapped his fingers, opening a portal to Ponyville, showing the six Elements of Harmony grayed out and missing their Elements as they argued with themselves. "As you can see, your Elements are having a hard time facing the true facts about themselves and are quite outmatched. Your greatest weapons have failed you and the ponies that wield them are left in shambles. And I barely had to try. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to Ponyville and claim it as my own. 'Bye." He vanished with a snap of his fingers, leaving the three to wonder what to do.

"The Elements are lost and need our help," Celestia said as she began to pace around he room. "But if they're like this then they can't use their Elements. Wait a moment, the letters! The letters Twilight sent me can remind them of who they are! I-I need to send Twilight the letter she sent me, but Sunnysmiles was the one who...oh Faust, Sunny! I need to go see--" Luna grabbed her sister with her magic and dragged her back, glaring into her sister's eyes as she did so.

"This cannot wait! If we do not stop this madpony here, then there will be nowhere to keep your daughter safe!" Luna yelled at Celestia, who was struggling to figure out what to do. "Forget the letters, we must head to Ponyville and battle Discord ourselves. Hopefully the Elements will aid us! I will find the Elements and aid them, but you must hold off Discord!" With no other plan Celestia allowed Teth to climb onto her back and she took off towards Ponyville.

'The Elements are scattered and Celestia is far too distracted to be of any use in this fight,' Teth thought silently as the pair flew down to Ponyville, seeing how it had been manipulated into a horror land in the short time Discord had been freed. Celestia landed in front of Discord, who sat on a floating throne in the center of town and sneered at her as she let Teth off.

"Oh Celestia, you are so predictable. I knew that you would come here to fight me head on," Discord sneered before moving to the side as Celestia fired a bolt of magic at him. "And I see that you have grown weaker in the thousand years since I last saw you. This will be easy then." He laughed as both of his hands were consumed in fire and he began to chuck fireballs at the princess, who erected a barrier to protect herself. Teth drew his blade and charged towards the creature, but Discord snapped his fingers and vines shot out of the ground to imprison Teth. "Stay out of this human, you'll live longer."

'No! I will not be pushed to the sides so easily,' Teth growled, but he was unable to break free. All he could do was watch as the pair battled for about an hour, Discord was far too strong for Celestia to handle alone. She tried to use her magic against him, but he would move out of the way. Every time she threw something at him he would simply avoid it. He was too strong.

"You will not have this land!" Celestia yelled as she shot into the sky and switched her magic from bolts to lasers, firing pure beams of magic towards Discord. Discord pulled a chunk of the earth out with his magic and shielded himself from her attack, before snapping his fingers to create a mirror that reflected her own spell back towards the princess. She was struck right in the chest and she collapsed to the ground, slamming into the dirt with a grunt.

"I already have this land, Celestia. You and the other ponies just don't know it yet." The moment he said this, Luna landed beside her sister, and running up behind her were the Elements of Harmony, now back in their regular colors. "What's this? I thought that I had dealt with the six of you."

"You might have broken us apart once, Discord, but Luna brought me all the letters that I had sent to Celestia during the time I was in Ponyville, and they reminded me to never give up on my friends," Twilight said with triumph as she and the others stood as one, each of them glaring at Discord. "Friendship is always worth fighting for. Now, are you ready to go back to stone?"

"Ugh, this talk about friendship is making me sick. But while you might have the Elements, I have something even better," Discord said with a smile before snapping his fingers, causing Teth to teleport from the vines into Discord's grasp, where he struggled to break free of the magic that held him in place. "A hostage. So, unless you want this little friend of yours here to be turned into flora, drop the Elements." The ponies glared up at Discord before sharing a look with each other.

"Curse you, Discord," Celestia weakly growled as Twilight and the others placed their Elements on the ground. "You will pay for this."

"Oh, I don't believe I will. Chaos has won, as it always will, and you and your precious Elements can't do anything," Discord said with a smirk before turning to Teth. "How about you? Any speeches of bravado to give me despite knowing that you can't win?" Discord raised an eyebrow when Teth didn't answer, and he narrowed his eyes when he looked at Adam's throat. "That's a very interesting magic that you have there. It's keeping you from talking, huh? Well there's no fun if I can't make you beg, so let's see if I can do something about it."

Teth silently cried out as Discord began to mess with the magic on his throat, pain coursing though his body. He vaguely heard Celestia yell at Discord to stop, but then the sound of a thunderclap could be heard and Discord released Teth, causing him to fall from the throne to the ground, where he panted in pain.

"Well, that was far harder than it should have been. Props to whoever cast that spell," Discord said with a smirk as he held the crackling magic in one hand while sneering down at Teth, who held a hand to his throat and realized that the magic was gone. "Fortunately, I know a thing or two about breaking imprisonment spells, so I could manage in the end. Now then, Teth, any last words before I trap you in stone in front of your friends?"

Only Luna was in the right position to see Teth's face when Discord asked him that question, and the moment she saw the human's face, she felt her soul go cold. On his face was a smile, a smile of pure, absolute evil. Teth then threw his head back to the sky and opened his mouth with that same smile on his face. And all ponies who were there that day would remember the first time they heard him utter the word,

"SHAZAM!"

A thunderous bolt of lightning descended from on high and struck the very spot where Teth lay, arms outstretched as if he were embracing the lightning. Celestia cried out for him while the other ponies--and even Discord--looked at the spot where the lightning had struck with disbelief, none of them knowing what to say. Then, through the dust kicked up by the bolt, a figure could be seen emerging. He wore a completely black suit, but on his arms were golden guards and his legs were covered with golden grieves. The once white cape was now a pitch black and was charged with power. But on the center of his chest is where all eyes rested, on the single, golden lightning bolt.

"Ooo, I didn't know humans could do that," Discord taunted as he went to snap his fingers. "But I suppose it--" Discord never saw the fist that hit him in the face and sent him sailing through the buildings of the town, but as he sat on the outskirts of Ponyville looking up at the sky he wondered what had hit him. For the ponies though, it had looked as if Discord was gone and Teth was now standing in his place. Teth flexed his hand as he looked down at it, another smile crossing his face while lightning crackled along it.

"Oh, it is good to be back," he said with power in every word.

"Teth?" Celestia asked weakly as she looked upon his new form with confusion. "W-what happened to you?"

"This is who I truly am, Celestia," Teth answered with ease before looking over to see that Discord was back and he looked angry. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must deal with this problem."

"Oh, look at you, acting so big and tough because you changed your outfit," Discord snarled as he lifted two rocks and aimed them at Teth. "But you're still just a human, Teth. You're mortal. Now allow me to drive that point home!" He slammed the boulders together against Teth, but to everypony's shock, Teth held out both hands and the boulders shattered against them. Discord backed away from the human who looked up at him with loathing.

"I am no longer the weakling named Teth," he said in a thunderous voice that caused the ground to shake. "I am Black Adam!" Discord wasn't aware that he had been grabbed until he felt his body get slammed into the ground, barely registering the pain before a golden boot kicked him across the town. Black Adam caught his skipping body and hurled it into the air, where he snapped his fingers and watched with a smile as a bolt of lightning drove Discord into the earth.

"And while you are a god, a pathetic, worthless god at most, I wield the power of six gods," Adam said as he floated over to where Discord was struggling to breathe, looking up at Adam with fear in his eyes. Adam lifted his leg and slammed it into Discord's chest, causing the draconis to cry out in pain as he looked up at the dark one. "And I will make sure that you never forget it, for the brief few seconds that you are alive."

"P-please, I'm a god. You can't kill me," Discord said with desperation, but all that did was get a laugh out of Adam.

"That is something all gods say...until they are slain." Adam then cast his hand into the sky and summoned a bolt of deadly lightning to strike his hand. And while the lightning had no effect on Adam, it coursed through his body and into Discord, who screamed as the lightning began to tear him apart. "How does it feel, "god," to be on top of the world one moment only to be beaten in every way by your superior?"

"Please...don't kill me," Discord begged, getting Adam to think about it for a moment. Then he looked to the ponies, the innocent, being harmed by Discord, and the answer was clear.

"No. Shazam." Adam leapt back as the divine lightning hurtled itself towards it caster, but with Adam out of the way it struck the God of Chaos, who made no sound as he was consumed by the all-powerful lightning. Adam watched with crossed arms as Discord's smoking body lay in front of him, before it slowly turned to ash and was blown away by the wind. With his foe taken care of, Adam turned towards the ponies and flew towards them.

"What happened?" Luna asked in awe as Black Adam landed in front of them, all of the ponies able to feel his magical might. "All we saw was lightning and then..."

"It is done. He is dead," Black Adam said, getting looks of absolute shock from the ponies.

"B-but he's Discord!" Twilight argued. "You can't just kill..." Her words died in her throat as the land around them started to return to normal, the houses floating back down to the ground and the sky turning blue once again. Then the ashes blew by the group and they all turned towards Adam with fear in their eyes. "But only the Elements have the magic to..."

"The Elements mean nothing to me now," he said with power and confidence in his voice as he lifted an arm into the air, blasting a bolt of lightning for all to see. "Black Adam has returned." Then he walked past all of the ponies, all of them moving out of the way, before coming to a stop in front of Celestia, who had no idea what he would do next. "Come," he said to her as he held out a hand. "We must check up on Sunny."

Celestia's eyes widened as she remembered what had happened, and Adam quickly grabbed her and shot off, leaving the other ponies to gawk in awe. Adam burst through the wall to Sunnysmiles' room, but his sight confirmed what his hearing had registered in the brief second it had taken him to reach the room. Radiance's head rested on her sister's body, and her sobs could be heard echoing throughout the room. A doctor sat next to her and had been comforting her up until the point Adam had burst through the wall.

"We're sorry, Princess, she died just a few minutes ago," the doctor said as Celestia pushed past him.

"No..." Celestia whispered in a barely audible tone, walking over to the bed and looking down at her daughter. Sunny remained completely motionless, but on her peaceful face was her eternal smile. Something in Celestia broke at that moment, and she joined Radiance in crying over Sunnysmiles. And all the while Adam watched with a bowed head, having to live with the fact that he was once again a few seconds too late.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"It cannot be," a pony in a black cloak said as he fell back into his chair, the other ponies with similar garb looking at the messenger as if he were crazy. "How? How could Discord have been killed so easily, after we spent so long to free him?"

"I would not believe it myself unless I had been there to witness it," a young unicorn in a cloak said as he knelt before the other, his voice as shaky as his knees while he told them what had happened in Ponyville. "The human used some kind of magic to make himself...into a god, the likes of which I have never seen. His speed, his power...he dispatched Discord so easily, as if he were nothing to him."

"If this is true, then we will have to seriously rethink our plans," a deep-voiced unicorn said from the side of the room, the others agreeing with him. "Discord agreed that he would help us in our cause if we freed him, but with him gone we have no way to defeat the princesses. And with the human now called Black Adam, it seems that the odds have grown only against us."

"What do we do?"

"Continue to observe them and do not let them onto you," the eldest one said with a hint of fear in his voice. "And beware of Black Adam. With Celestia now in the state she is in, there is nopony on this planet who would be able to stop him."

The Two Spheres

Sunny's funeral had been done in private, with only those close to her and her best of friends there to put her to rest. Celestia did her best to hide her pain, but it was clearly written on her face for all to see. Radiance seethed with tears in her eyes during the entire funeral, sad that her sister was gone and hating herself for not being able to do anything about it. Both of them had to spend a good number of days recovering.

'And yet Celestia has requested to see me,' Teth silently thought to himself, as he walked down the hallway to her chambers, knowing full well what she wanted to talk to him about. He knocked at her door and entered when she said to, walking into the center of the room and placing his arms behind his back as he waited for Celestia to speak.

"So...this is what happens when humans can speak?" she asked him in a raspy voice from beside the window, the faintest spark of amusement in her red eyes as she looked over the suit. "You call down magical lightning bolts that turn you into super beings?"

"Only a very select few of us can do this," Adam calmly responded, but he could tell from the way she was eyeing him that she was afraid of him now. Celestia slowly nodded as she looked out the window for a moment, choosing her next question carefully.

"What is the real reason you came here?" she eventually asked him. The look she gave him told Adam that she no longer believed his initial story. "If you have these amazing powers and ended up here, then there must be a reason." Adam lowered his head for a moment before looking up at her with cold eyes.

"I was a ruler of my own nation, back on a planet called Earth. There, I protected my people and kept them safe from...almost all threats," Adam venomously said as the images of his fallen nation returned to him. "Yet, the other people of my planet feared me and my power, so they thought of a way to be rid of me. They unleashed a horrible monster upon my land and then used it as an excuse to wipe my nation off the map."

"How could they do that?" she whispered, mortified.

"You do not know humans. They will do anything to "protect" themselves, even if it involves killing millions of each other," Black Adam replied with bitterness in his voice. "That's why I was chosen to wield this power, so that I could protect them. But to answer your question completely, after the destruction of my nation, I sought to destroy those who had attacked my people. But our enemies' champions outnumbered me and I fell to them in battle, but not before killing those who destroyed my home."

'That's the side of you I'm not sure of,' Celestia silently thought before nodding for Adam to continue.

"Once they had captured and restrained me, they took me to the one who had granted me my powers, and with their combined strength they forced me into my mortal form, the human you know as Teth. Then, the wizard used his magic to seal my voice before banishing me to the farthest reaches of space. You know what happened from there." Celestia closed her eyes, feeling sorry for what had happened to Adam, but she knew that there was an important question to ask him.

"So what will you do now?" she asked as she rose to her hooves, the magic crackling along her horn not lost on Adam. "Will you use this power to rule the ponies just like you did on your planet? Or will you fly off and try to exact revenge on those who took everything from you? Because if you try either of those...I will stop you. I know you hate them for what they did, but I will not allow more to die, even if I have to fight you."

'You are stronger than I first believed,' Adam mused before shaking his head and holding out a hand. "No Celestia, I do not wish to rule over your ponies...nor will I return to my home...yet." Celestia gave him a look of confusion at his answer. "You aided me when I was at my weakest and helped me to regain my powers. I am in your debt. And Black Adam always repays his debts." He could see the doubt beginning to clear away in her eyes, slowly but surely. "And, I also made a promise to keep you and your daughters safe. And I don't break my promises.

Celestia lowered her head for a moment before looking back up at Black Adam, trust in her eyes. "Wait outside, please. There is something I wish to show you. But, I need to be alone a little longer."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

'I cannot afford to wait any longer,' Luna silently thought to herself a few days later, while she stood outside the door to Celestia's room, raising a hoof to knock. 'She needs to know what I saw the moment before Black Adam called down the lightning. She needs to know that I saw evil in his eyes.' She went to knock, but the door opened before she could. She jumped back as Black Adam walked out of the room and glared at her, crossing his arms as he did so.

"Celestia should be left alone today," Black Adam said in a calm, almost leader-like way of speaking, but Luna could hear the underlying threat in his voice. "No one is allowed to enter, not even you. Now leave." Luna spat with rage at how she was being treated, but she knew that she was no match for him. But since they were in front of Celestia's room, she was also fairly certain that he wouldn't try anything here.

"And what happens if I don't decide to leave?" she challenged, getting Adam to turn and look back at her with a cold fire in his eyes. "Are you going to kill me like you did Discord? Is that how you do things, Human, if you don't like them...you simply dispose of them?"

"He was a threat to you and your ponies. I think that you should be thanking me instead of trying my patience," he said calmly, but as the lightning crackled from his chest, Luna began to question how far she should push him.

"Yes, he was a threat, but not one that needed to be destroyed!" Luna roared as she took a step forward to meet his eyes. "But it seems that we've traded one unstoppable force for another. Don't act like you don't know what I'm saying Adam, you know as well as I do. I saw the evil in your eyes the day you turned into...this, and I saw the eyes of a man corrupted by power. You are dangerous to everypony here!" To her shock, though, Adam smirked at her before hovering off the ground slightly to look down on her.

"You believe me to be evil?" he asked her coldly and with disdain in his voice. "I have done nothing but help and protect your kind since the moment I arrived here, like the champion I am. What about you Luna?" When she looked at him in confusion, he gave her a cold smirk. "You grew jealous of your own sister and tried to destroy her, casting this land into eternal night. And yet, you call me evil."

"I-I was not in my right state of mind!" she defended, trying to think of words with which to fire back at him. "But-"

"You attacked her and endangered thousands of lives, because you were upset that ponies needed to sleep," Adam said coldly, reaching out and grabbing the Princess of the Night by her throat and lifting her struggling body off the floor. "You betrayed your own sister because you felt left out. How petty. And it shows me that you are the least trustworthy pony in this castle. Were you not Celestia's sister, I would make sure that they would throw you back to the moon so that you could never harm another again. If I felt nice..." He threw her to the floor and allowed her to gain her breath back.

"But she has lost too much recently to lose her sister again, no matter how treacherous that sister was," Adam said with scorn as Luna glared at him. "You are right saying that I am not a perfect hero, but compared to you, I am the better protector. Now leave my sight before I arrange another funeral." She scowled as he said this, but at that moment the doors to Celestia's chamber opened and she walked between them, her red eyes barely registering what was going on.

"Come with me," she said to Black Adam, who nodded as he began to follow her with one last glare at Luna.

"What are you going to show me?"

"Something that you must see. You and Radiance both," Celestia said in a tone that told him that she was not in a mood for argument. Luna took a step forward to interject but a look from Celestia silenced her, before motioning for her to follow as well. She marched through the hallways while Adam floated behind her, wondering where she was taking him. "I don't know if you care or not, but after...Discord, I have hired a new Captain of the Royal Guard. His name is Shining Armor and I would like you to make his acquaintance soon, since you both will be protecting Canterlot. He is Twilight's brother."

"Oh yes, I remember him," Adam nodded. Before the pair could reach Radiance's room, one of the royal advisors and his understudy ran up to Celestia, breathing heavily with shock written on their faces.

"Princess Celestia! It's the griffon envoy!" the advisor said between gasps. Celestia's eyes went wide at this and she took off towards the throne room, Adam floating along besides her.

"Now the griffons are going to be causing us trouble?" Adam asked her, but Celestia simply narrowed her eyes in response.

"The griffons are our most unpredictable "ally". They constantly go back and forth between attacking us and helping us," Celestia said before coming to a trot as she smoothed out her mane and took up a regal appearance. Black Adam respected how fast she could go from emotional to regal, especially with the death of her daughter having been so recent. The doors to the throne room opened and Celestia walked in, the five griffons turning to meet the pair. Their eyebrows went up when they saw Adam floating behind her, but the head envoy cleared her throat when Celestia walked in front of them, Luna taking her side.

"I do not believe that we were supposed to meet for another month," Celestia said calmly, but Adam could hear in her voice that she was still suffering. The griffon envoy stepped forward with a look of disrespect on her face, but the look was replaced with fear when Adam walked up besides Celestia, letting the lightning crackle off of his chest. "Why are you here now?"

"The griffon king desires the land closest to his border," the griffon said with calmness, but the words seemed to shake Celestia to her core. "He desires it now."

"What? But we both agreed that the land was for my ponies during our last meeting!" she yelled with disbelief. "How can he just change his senile old mind on a whim?" The griffon's feathers went up at how Celestia spoke of her king, but the guards--and Adam's glare--kept her calm.

"He also wanted to inform you that if you do not relinquish the land within a month, he will be more than willing to take it by force." The room went quiet at these words, and all of the ponies looked to Celestia and Luna, both of whom shared a glance as they internally debated what to do. Before either could speak, Adam stepped forward.

"Tell me, worm, have you and your kind heard what happened to Discord?" Adam asked in a calm manner.

"Yeah, we heard that Celestia and the Elements beat him. What of it?" The envoy and the other griffons began to back away as Adam leaned his head back and began to laugh, a laugh that caused them to look at him, unnerved.

"No. He is dead, by my hand," Adam said with a coldness that chilled all who listened. He then let the magical lightning flash across his body, allowing the envoy to get a small taste of the power he wielded. The griffons backed away from Adam as the lightning flashed, practically falling over each other to do so. "Do you understand now? My power is on a plain that you cannot fathom. So if your king, the fool that he seems to be, issues an attack, I will unleash this power upon you and your nation."

"Teth, what are you--?" Celestia tried to whisper at him, but the damage had been done. In the face of the twin princesses and the supposed god-slayer, the griffons stiffly bowed and left the room.

"That's going to come back to bite us, I just know it," Luna said with a shake of her head. Celestia also shook her head and left the throne room with the others, leaving the guards and her advisor confused. The three walked over to Radiance's room, where they found a purple and green dragon pacing outside of the door.

"Is something the matter, Spike?" Black Adam asked him, getting the dragon to jump.

"N-no, not really," he muttered as he rubbed the back of his head, but he quickly crumbled under Adam's glare. "Radiance isn't acting like herself. She spends all day now in her room tearing through her spell books. she barely eats, barely sleeps. I'm worried of what will become of her."

"I will talk to her," Adam said before Celestia could respond. Adam walked past the dragon and opened the door, only finding out there was a lock after he tore it apart. Radiance barely turned to look at him before returning to her spell books. "Radiance, your mother wishes to show us something of great importance."

"I don't care," she muttered, getting Adam slightly concerned. "Whatever it is, it can wait." Black Adam scanned her spellbook and found that it was all about the dark arts, on how to raise a pony from the dead. With a shake of his head, he sat down in front of her, closing the book so that she was forced to look at him.

"You miss your sister," he said, not needing her to answer. "It is not your fault that she died. Death claims all of us, eventually."

"But I could have done something!" she half-yelled, sobbing slightly into her hooves. "I could have--"

"Your magic could not have saved her," Adam cut her off, getting her to look up at him with tears.

"Could yours have?"

"Yes. It could have." Radiance hung her head again and sighed in defeat.

"Then, there is no way to bring her back?" she whispered. Adam looked at her for a moment before gently grabbing her chin and lifting her head so that she was looking at him again.

"What I am about to tell you does not leave this room, do you understand? I died once." Radiance was shocked beyond words as she looked up at him, doubting him at first, but his look dispelled the doubt immediately. "I have been alive for over five thousand years. In this form, I am immortal. Yet, the years still ravage my mortal form. In battle with my greatest foe, he tricked me into changing back into my mortal form, and I aged five thousand years in an instant, reducing me to dust."

"But...but then how are you--?"

"Because of my people's belief in both me and in great magic, far greater than what you can achieve," he told her. "But while it is not impossible to raise the dead back into the land of the living, I would advise against it. You would be getting yourself into a danger from which I do not know that I could protect you. Come, it is time to go." Radiance looked down for a moment before she nodded and followed him out of the room, walking out to hear the end of Luna and Celestia's conversation.

"I will not hear another word against him, Luna," Celestia ordered, causing her sister to growl in frustration. "Teth is a good man, not the evil one you describe him as."

"Can't you see how dangerous he is? And now you're taking him to see the two--" Her words died as Black Adam and Radiance joined them, Adam giving Luna a cold stare before Celestia led the way, walking out onto a balcony.

"Radiance, you can fly with me," Celestia said as she levitated Radiance onto her back. "You two, follow me." The three silently took flight and flew across the landscape. With his enhanced vision, Adam could see that they were heading for an abandoned castle at the very end of the Everfree Forest. They landed a moment later, Celestia allowing Radiance to climb off of her back before motioning for her and her sister to go ahead.

"Luna told me what you said to her back in the castle," Celestia said with a subdued fire. "You threated to kill my sister."

"She betrayed you once and tried to cast all of your land into darkness," Adam said to her face, not at all intimidated by the rage. "I warned her that I would be watching her, and if she tried again I would stop her for good. I learned a long time ago that leaving your foes alive only results in giving them another chance to bring you down...and kill all that you cherish." He turned and walked past her before she could answer, getting Celestia to shake her head at him as she followed him inside.

"Stand here," Luna begrudgingly said to Adam, as the two joined Radiance and Celestia on a circular part of the room. Luna and Celestia's magic began to glow, creating a circle around the area they were standing on and causing the stone beneath them to begin to move, sending the four into darkness.

"There is something down there," Adam growled, fists crackling as he felt the waves of magic begin to wash over him. "Something powerful." Radiance moved closer to Celestia for comfort as the slab of stone came to a stop, revealing a long hallway towards the powerful magic. Without a word, the four moved down the hallway, Adam preparing to fight whatever was at the end of the hallway. The hallway led to a room that was bare, save for two spheres that floated in the center of the room.

"In the name of Amon!" Adam whispered, as he felt the twin magical powers coming from the spheres, not sure at all what to think. The sphere on the right was one filled with black and darkness, casting its side of the room in pitch black magic that made even the invulnerable skin of Black Adam crawl. The sphere across the room from it was one of pure silver, casting a calm and caring light on its half of the room, making all of the ponies feel at peace. To Adam though, it made him snarl as its magic began to mess slightly with his own.

"These are the two greatest treasures of Equestria," Luna explained as she walked over to the black sphere. "The sphere of destruction..."

"...And the sphere of creation," Celestia finished as she walked over to the silver one, nodding at Luna. "These two spheres were found by the very first Elements of Harmony, who discovered that their power matched that of the Elements of Harmony. They believed that the spheres could be used for good, but according to the legends, the sphere of creation would not work and the sphere of destruction would destroy anything in front of it without its sister sphere keeping it at bay."

"Somehow, the changelings have caught wind of the two spheres and seek to steal them for their own army," Luna continued. "And with them, they would have the power to not only stand up to, but also possibly defeat, the Elements as well. That is why we have brought the two of you down here to see them. Radiance, as the future ruler of Equestria...as was your sister...Celestia believed it was time that you were told of them. And as for you Adam," she said with venom, "as much as I hate to say it, your power will be crucial in protecting these artifacts."

"Both of you must swear secrecy to what we have told you," Celestia finished, walking over to them and looking at both of them in the eye." Am I clear?" Radiance swore to secrecy almost immediately, but Adam spent a long moment looking at the sphere of destruction, having the sudden urge to destroy it, to blast it into nothingness.

"What would happen if either sphere were destroyed?" he asked.

"We do not know, but legend says that a war far greater than one ever seen in the history of Equestria would be waged," Luna said, giving Adam a cold look. "Why? Thinking of destroying one of them?"

"Yes." And with that he turned to leave, having much to think about. Luna followed after him, muttering under her breath about how trusting him with this information was a bad idea and that Celestia had grown soft. That left Celestia with Radiance, Celestia looking down at her to see that she was gazing upon the sphere of creation with...interest.

"How are you holding up?" Celestia asked as she sat down beside her, gently draping her wing over Radiance's shoulder. Radiance gently leaned against Celestia, her eyes never leaving the silver sphere.

"Coping. Hey Celestia?" she asked softly, getting the ruler to look down at her with kind eyes. "You seemed so strong today, almost as if my sister's death didn't affect you. How do you do it?" Celestia closed her eyes and rested her head gently against Radiance's.

"I am over a thousand years old. As sad as it is to say, I guess I'm...used to those I love dying before me," she said sadly as she opened her eyes again. "I truly feel grief over being unable to help your sister, but...she is in a better place now and she is no longer plagued with the disease that hurt her. And when I feel down, I think at least I filled her life with happiness before she had to go. Come, time to go." She helped Radiance to her hooves and escorted her to leave, but Radiance looked back at the sphere one last time.

"Hey Celestia? What can the sphere of creation do?" Radiance asked softly.

"If what legend said is true? Anything."

'Good. That's exactly what I need.'

Doom to the Groom

Radiance applauded along with the rest of the audience as the curtains closed on Twilight and the other actors of Hearth's Warming Eve play, but she headed for backstage instead of leaving the theater like the rest of the ponies. She found the six there arguing with themselves until a gust of wind chilled them all, causing them to laugh at each other.

"Hey, Twilight, that was a pretty good play. For a moment, I believed that you guys were actually the characters in the play," Radiance said as she walked over to Twilight, the two hugging each other before Radiance greeted the rest of the mane six. Twilight released the hug and looked at Radiance sadly.

"I'm so sorry about what happened to Sunnysmiles," Twilight said with sympathetic eyes before pulling Radiance back into a hug. "I wish I could have been there for you."

"It's alright, Twilight, I'm coping as best I can," Radiance said with a shrug, masking how she truly felt. "You girls mind if I steal Twilight for an hour or so?" They waved the two away and the pair left the theater, walking through the snowy streets of Canterlot while looking at all the decorations. "How are things going with your family? I heard from Celestia that Shining Armor was made Captain of the Guard."

"Yeah, he sent my mom and me at least ten letters telling us every detail about it," Twilight said with a chuckle as they walked. "He says, though, that the scariest thing that he had to do was meet Teth...or I guess 'Black Adam' as he calls himself now. I still can't believe what happened with Discord. A god of chaos...gone. And he made it look easy."

"Don't worry, he might be a 'stick in the mud,' but Teth is still a good guy," Radiance comforted her friend before her eyes fell slightly. "Hey Twilight, you like to collect books right? Do you think I could borrow some of them?"

"Hmm, could I loan one of my best friends since I was little some books?" Twilight asked herself as she placed a hoof under her chin, Radiance shaking her head as Twilight smiled at her. "Well I don't see the harm in it. What kind of books do you want to read?"

"Anything you have on resurrection spells and the afterlife." Twilight's eyes widened when she heard the request, but Radiance cut her off before she could say anything. "I know what you're going to say, but there is a chance that I can bring her back. I've found...an item that might be able to save her, to bring Sunny back. I have to try Twilight. It's my fault that she died. I couldn't do anything for her. Please." Twilight hesitated for a moment, but then she sighed in resignation and looked at her friend with a smile.

"Sure, I guess I can. I hate to think what would happen if I lost my brother," Twilight said with a worried smile. Radiance gave her another quick hug before walking ahead. Twilight looked at her with fear and worry starting to form in her mind. 'It's a good thing that none of my books actually have anything concrete on resurrection. I'm sorry Radiance, but the dead should stay dead.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

The mirror reflected the image of the dark pony, but the pony never saw his reflection. All he saw were the possibilities, the endless universes, all of which were filled with the same weakness and pain as his was. But that would change soon--as soon as he could figure out what to do with Black Adam. It had taken months, but he finally had a plan...or at least the beginning of one.

"Is it done?" the dark pony asked the unicorn who bowed behind him in the center of a dark room, kneeling down and awaiting his orders.

"Yes sir. Chrysalis knows when the marriage will take place and we have arranged a...distraction that should get rid of Adam long enough for us to get the location of the spheres out of one of the princesses." The unicorn answered with a bow of his head while the dark one turned to look at him, yellow eyes narrowing. "She believes that we will share the information with her on their spheres..."

"But by then, Adam will have returned and dealt with her," the pony said with a dry chuckle as he turned back to look at the mirror. "I want no mistakes; no chances. Make sure that Chyrsalis' identity is not discovered until she reveals herself, and make sure Black Adam is gone for a full hour. That is all the time we need. Tell the others." The unicorn nodded and vanished into the shadows of the room.

'I once blamed you for all of this world's weakness, Celestia, but now I see that there is weakness wherever there is realty,' the dark one thought silently as he gazed into infinity. 'But that is why ponies like me were created, to destroy the weak and leave only the strong. This is what you have failed to grasp about me...and what you have also failed to grasp about Black Adam.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"I am sorry about you having to see that, Teth. I don't know why Twilight has been so on edge lately," Celestia said with a sigh as she, her sister, Black Adam and the other Elements of Harmony left the throne room, leaving Twilight alone to deal with her issues. "I guess it could be the fact that her brother is getting married, but she and Cadence got along so well in the past. I don't what has changed."

"Neither do I," Black Adam replied, but he kept his eyes on the door with slight concern. He hadn't know Cadence long, but something about her magic felt...off, like she was trying to mask something.

"Well, there are still many more things that we must get ready for the wedding, so we should go get those finished," Celestia said with a smile as she walked along, humming wedding music to herself. "Oh, have you seen Radiance? She wasn't in her room and I can't find her anywhere in the castle. I'm beginning to worry."

"I am sure she is fine," he responded. But he silently thought afterwards, 'She rarely leaves the room with the spheres anymore.' He and Celestia parted ways from the others, heading towards the entryway where the guests were arriving to greet them. A faint trace of dark magic flashed across Adam's senses and he spun so suddenly towards where he felt the magic that he blew Celestia off her hooves. "I am sensing a very dark magic, near the edge of the land."

"What kind of magic?" Celestia asked, but Adam shook his head as he floated off the ground.

"There is only one way to find out. I should be back soon, but if not, start the ceremonies without me." He shot off without saying anything else, rocketing across the Equestrian skies with speeds that had once put Rainbow Dash in her place. He reached the town within a few seconds of taking off, but to his shock, he found the city covered in a black sphere of magic that prevented him from sensing the ponies inside.

'This should not be too much of a problem,' Adam thought as he summoned his strength and slammed his fists into the black barrier, watching as a ripple spread across it before it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. He smiled and flew through the pieces only to find a giant fist waiting for him on the other side. Adam caught the fist with his hands, and he felt the creature that threw the punch trying to overpower him, getting a chuckle out of Adam.

"You must be the lightning bringer," a massive, stone titan-like creature said, as Black Adam looked past the fist to see a stone face with blue energy running through it looking, at him. "You are far smaller than I thought you would be. What kind of god is so tiny and pathetic."

"Maybe only one god, but I am not one god!" Adam roared as he lifted his hand to summon a bolt of magical power that struck the hand. The Titan backed away as it clutched its wrist while Adam threw himself into the gut of the creature, sending it skidding through the streets and through buildings before he threw it into the air. "I am six," he said to it as it crashed into the streets below him.

"You are indeed strong. That makes this interesting," the Titan said as he rose back up, towering over both Adam and the building before it let loose a roar, a roar that was followed by a blast of bluish magic that consumed Adam, who threw his hands in front of his face to catch the magical blast. The blast turned to a beam that pushed Adam into the streets, where he could feel the concrete give way under his feet as he was pushed by the power. "But you are still not as powerful as me. I have been alive for well over five hundred years, mastering my powers. You are outmatched."

"That is funny, because I have been alive for five thousand!" Adam replied before placing his hands in front of the lightning bolt on his chest, channeling his electrical magic into his hands. Once they were filled with magical power, all he had to do was aim his hands at the giant and watch as the godly lightning cast itself through the Titan's arm. "And my power far surpasses yours." The Titan clutched at where his arm used to be as he looked down at Adam, who slowly floated into the air so he could look the Titan in the eyes.

"You are not from this land," the Titan observed with interest, not fear, in his eyes, which was not what Adam was expecting. "You wield a power that nothing can match, not here anyway. Yet you are not a king nor a god. Why?" Adam aimed his arm at the Titan before he began to ask himself the same question. Why was he not ruling over this land? He had been a ruler back home and...

'That is right, because I rule over my people. And I no longer have a people,' he silently thought as lightning crackled along his arm, merging into a torrent of power at the end of his hand. 'All I have now is my vengeance and my promise. And I will keep both of them.'

"Be gone."

The lightning flashed from his finger tips and drove itself through the head of the creature, separating it from its shoulders and sending it crashing into the buildings beneath it. The body began to fall as well and the ponies all began to scream, until Adam flew beneath it and lifted it out of the way with one hand.

"You are safe now," he said in a strong voice to the ponies, but he found that while some of them cheered for him, all of the others were too busy helping those who had been trapped in the rubble, or comforting those who had lost loved ones in the battle. Adam said nothing else as he flew the body towards the stars, where with a push he sent it floating into the unknown. 'It feels odd saving strangers again, almost as if...it reminds me of when I first started as a champion.' He floated back down into the atmosphere and looked at the position of the sun, finding that he had been gone longer than he had wished to. So with a burst of speed he headed back towards Canterlot.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Celestia panted heavily as she tried to remain on her hooves, but from the blast of magic she had just taken, she considered it a miracle that she could stand at all. Across the throne room from her stood a triumphant Chrysalis, while behind her in the sky was her changeling army attacking what had been a peaceful city. All of the ponies were silent as they watched the battle taking place in front of the altar, all of them waiting to see what would happen.

"Are you ready to give up yet, Princess?" Chrysalis laughed as she stalked forward, Celestia spitting onto the floor in response. "That is brave of you, but you cannot fight me. With Shining Armor's love, me and my children have more than enough power to destroy you and take this kingdom." She motioned to Shining as she said this, who had a blank look on his face despite Cadence trying to snap him out of it.

"I will never surrender to you. None of us will," Celestia spat as she fired a beam of magic at Chrysalis, who laughed menacingly as she too fired a beam of green magic into Celestia's. Celestia poured all of her might into the attack, but slowly Chrysalis began to push her back.

"Now then, before I end this, are you going to tell me where those two treasures of yours are?" Chrysalis yelled, but Celestia remained silent while she started to get pushed back. Chrysalis let out another laugh as she poured all of her power into the attack, pushing Celestia's magic right back into her horn and sending her flying with an explosion of magic.

'No. I can't fail,' Celestia thought weakly, while she felt herself get sent flying, closing her eyes from the pain. 'Not again. Not--' She expected to hit the ground, but instead she felt herself hit something even harder. She spent a moment wondering what it could be before she felt electrical magic flowing through her. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up into the face of an annoyed Black Adam.

"Teth," she weakly whispered, as he looked from her to Chrysalis and then to the invasion outside, shaking his head with a sigh.

"Thirty minutes, Celestia. I was gone for thirty minutes," he said to her in an annoyed tone. "And in that time, Canterlot has been overrun with insect-like creatures, the groom is hypnotized and unable to perform his job, and you are being flung across your own throne room by...whatever that is. In thirty minutes."

"I'm sorry, she's just so..." Celestia muttered as she tried to stand up, but cried out in pain as she leaned against Adam.

"Stay here and rest," he said to her as he picked her up again and flew her next to Twilight and the others, before turning with a look of confidence that made Celestia's face a little red. "I will deal with this."

"Okay."

"No! They said you weren't supposed to be back yet," Chrysalis muttered so quietly that nopony except Adam could hear it. "But that doesn't matter, I still have enough power to destroy--" A backhand from Adam sent her flying clear out of the throne room and to the other side of Canterlot, causing all in attendance to gasp at Black Adam's power. Adam headed towards the window from which he had sent Chrysalis flying, but he stopped when he saw Shining Armor.

"Wake up," he said as he shocked Shining's horn, causing the unicorn to yelp as Adam destroyed the magic controlling him. He groaned and looked around before getting a tackle hug from Cadence, the sight of the two "lovebirds" caused all of the ponies to smile. Even Adam felt himself fighting the urge to smile as well. "Continue on with the ceremonies. I will take care of them." He shot out the window as he said this and split two changelings down the middle with ease, before looking into the streets to see what he was up against.

'There are a large number of them, but they are out in the open and easy to see now,' he thought as he sent blasts of lightning into any changelings that entered his gaze, turning them into ash on the spot. He spotted a family about to be struck down by a pair of insects, but the bugs were quickly paste under his boots. "You need to head somewhere safe," he said to the awestruck ponies before flying off.

"You two should be ashamed," he snarled as he freed a pair of guards from the green webbing in which they had been trapped, the two thanking him as he tore the rest of it off of them. "Instead of thanking me, you should be spending this time helping others. Go." The two took off as Adam once again took to the skies, narrowing his eyes as he saw Chrysalis pulling herself out of a pile of rubble. He landed right in front of her with his arms crossed and gaze cold while she, in turn, looked up at him, fear in her eyes.

"Y-you're a monster," she whispered before firing a beam of green magic into his chest, only to watch it shatter against his suit, not even leaving a mark on the golden lightning bolt. Adam grabbed her by the throat and hoisted her into the air, slowly crushing his grip as she tried in vain to break free.

"You attack innocent lives, try to kill a bride during her wedding day and then try to kill the leader of a nation, and yet somehow I'm the monster," Adam smirked as he tightened his grip, cracking her exoskeleton. "But now I will do to you what I do to all monsters. Crush you with--"

"Let her go!" Adam felt a small blast of magic hit him in the side of his head, and he slowly to look at his attacker, finding a small changeling that looked like a little Chrysalis standing before him, terror in her eyes, along with strength. "Let my Mom go."

"No...Insectum, RUN!" Chrysalis yelled with more fear in her voice than Adam had ever heard before. Insectum swallowed her fear and fired another blast at Black Adam, who moved out of the way and grabbed Insectum as well, lifting her up to glare into her eyes.

"You may be a child, but you have entered the battlefield," Adam said coldly as he tightened his grip on the both of them, causing Insectum to whimper. "And there are consequences for doing so."

"Please...kill me if you must, but let her go," Chrysalis begged, gaining Adam's attention. He looked into her eyes, eyes filled with fear for what he assumed was her daughter, and his mouth thinned a bit as his eyes softened, for a moment. Then he brought his arm back and hurled Insectum off into the distance.

"She can fly. She will live," Black Adam said to Chrysalis, who looked at him with a look of gratitude before Adam tightened his grip on her throat. "But I cannot say the same for you." He raised his hand into the air and summoned forth the lightning. Magic lightning struck his hand and channeled through his body, then into Chrysalis. How watched as the power coursed through her body, and in a few moments, she ceased to move. He then shot to the sky before coming down in front of the largest cluster of changelings that he could see, tossing the body of their queen in front of them.

"Your queen is dead, and if you do not wish to join her, leave," Adam snarled at them. But to his surprise, the changelings all looked down at their queen with heartbroken sorrow in their eyes. Then, in an instant, they all looked at him not with fear, but with wrath. And with an unholy scream they all hurled themselves at Adam, unafraid of him or his power. Adam watched them attack before a tiny smile broke on his face.

"Loyal to the end. You have earned my respect." And then he called down the lightning.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Shining and Cadence danced with their friends in the center of the garden, while other ponies partied around them, celebrating the happiest moment of their lives. Despite most of their closest friends being there and that they had invited him to join in the fun, Adam preferred to stay as far away from them as possible. He had spent the rest of the day combing the city for changelings, annihilating any that crossed his path. But there was another reason, a reason that he kept to himself as he looked over the city from one of the balconies.

"All of that celebrating and you prefer to be up here by yourself?" Adam turned his head to see Celestia fly up beside him, a smile on her face as she landed. He turned away and continued to watch the town, Celestia's smile fell as she walked over to him. "Is something the matter? You haven't said much since the attack."

"It is a trifling matter," he said calmly, but Celestia lifted an eyebrow at him before smirking.

"That is the first time, I believe, that you have told me a direct lie,and I must say you are bad at it," Celestia chuckled. "What is the matter, Teth?"

"It is Black Adam. And...I am simply reminded of my family," he muttered before motioning to the ponies still celebrating. Celestia waited for him to go on, but he ceased speaking there. She tapped him with her wing and motioned for him to go on, getting him to snarl slightly. "There is not much to say. My wife and children were killed by an evil invader, and I used the powers of Sha...the magic lightning, to defeat him. I tried to be a leader of my land, but by the combined efforts of Doomsday, an unstoppable monster, and an organization named C.AD.M.U.S, I lost my nation as well."

"I am sorry, Teth, I did not know how tortured your life was," Celestia said sadly before looking at him with curiosity. "But what do you mean by, you were banished?"

"In my grief, I slaughtered millions of innocents to find those who had killed my wife," he admitted while clenching his fist, not needing to look at Celestia to know that there was a look of horror on her face. "Until the...heroes of Earth defeated me and I was stripped of my power. And that was only the first time that happened." Celestia looked at him with uncertainty for a few moments before she sat down beside him, looking up at Black Adam with blank eyes.

"Alright, tell me your story...from the beginning."

Adam took in a deep breath, preparing to tell her five thousand years worth of suffering.

Their Hero

Celestia looked out of the window at the crowd of ponies that had gathered. She was full of conflicting emotions that were battling it out in her heart. All of these ponies were here to see Black Adam, who, after the news spread like wildfire that he saved Canterlot from the changelings , was revered as a hero amongst all the ponies. But she had heard who he was...had heard it from his own mouth...how he had committed atrocities that made her sick to think about it.

"The crowd out there is getting restless." Celestia turned away from her thoughts and looked over at Adam, who floated beside her with arms folded on his chest. "Whatever announcement that you wish to tell them, you should do it soon." Celestia nodded as she stood up to walk to the balcony, but she stopped halfway and turned back to look at him.

"Teth...may I speak my mind?" Adam nodded in reply. "I need to ask you a number of questions. After what you have told me about...your life on Earth and...what you have done, I am not sure whether or not I can truly trust you anymore." Adam nodded as she said this, knowing that he wouldn't trust someone like himself either. "But since you have been here you have done nothing but help us...I am confused about you, Teth. Are you a villain who believes himself a hero? Or a hero that acts like a villain?"

"I am whatever my people need me to be, in order to keep them safe," he responded calmly, having answered this question before in the past to the other heroes, though they did not take his answer well. "Be it a ruler who is strong and kind, or a god that smites whomever is foolish enough to cross me. Right now, though, I am the protector of a queen and her child." Celestia let a thin smile cross her face at the blunt honesty in his answer.

"I have thought long and hard about my answer, and...so far, you have done nothing to warrant my distrust," she said with worry in her voice, but it was overshadowed by the strength in it. "And until you do something here that warrants said distrust, I will continue to treat you as if you are the hero that these ponies believe you to be...that I believe you can be. You may be a different person on your world, but here...you are a hero. Now come on, they want to meet you." Adam nodded and walked over with her to the balcony, hearing the deafening cheer as he walked out beside her.

'This...is a feeling that I never thought I would experience again,' he silently thought as the ponies all cheered his name, some of them holding up signs with his image on them. He raised a hand and the entire crowd fell silent, waiting with baited breath for what he would say to them. "I will make this brief. I am Black Adam, and I protect the princess and her daughter. That is all." The ponies all began to cheer wildly at his words as he nodded, but then they all started to bow to him. Celestia widened her eyes with slight surprise, but Adam scowled at the action.

"No," he said in a powerful voice that shook all of them. "You will not bow to me. You will never need to bow to me. I am not your king nor am I your ruler. I am a protector." With this he spun and walked back inside of the castle, leaving all of the ponies confused. Celestia looked at him with the same confusion that the ponies outside wore on their faces.

"I am confused," she said to him. "I thought that you were used to being worshipped as a king. Why did you change your mind?" Adam looked at her with cold eyes that masked pain beneath them.

"I was only the ruler of my people because there was no one else suitable to take the position," Adam explained before floating towards an open window. "Yet despite me being a king and a god, I still couldn't protect them. I still failed them. I do not deserve to be bowed to, not when I have failed so many times." He shot off into the sky, flying faster than any pony could dream until he rested in the silence of space.

'Why are you taking so long to avenge us?' Adam closed his eyes as he heard Isis' voice echoing in his mind. 'They took everything from you. Your wife, your family and your people, yet you still waste your time here, waste your time with these creatures that should be destroyed.'

'They have done nothing to warrant such action,' Adam responded as he did his best to bury the memories of what happened. 'I also do not know where I am in space or how long it would take me to get back to Earth. If it is another five thousand year flight, then all whom I seek to unleash my vengeance upon would be long gone before I arrived. No, for now, I will keep my promise to them. I will keep them safe.'

'No Adam, you will return to Earth eventually to exact your revenge. You always do.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Radiance threw one book to the side as she grabbed another with her magic and began to flip through the pages, ignoring both Spike and the meal that he placed next to her. The little dragon frowned a bit as she growled while tossing the book, picking up another one just as quickly. He sighed and shook his head as he headed for the exit, only to step back in shock as Black Adam floated down from the room above.

"Oh, B-Black Adam!" Spike yelled as he threw himself to the floor with a bow, getting a snarl out of Adam as the human picked him up and put him back on his feet. "What are you doing here? I thought that there would be far more important things that you would be doing instead of--"

"Keeping my promise is important to me," Adam said as he walked by the dragon and over to Radiance, who never looked up at him as he stood beside her. "Radiance, we need to talk. You have been in here for nearly three days now and your mother is getting worried." He unfolded his arms when she continued to ignore him and he reached down to grab her by the back of her neck, lifting her up so that she was forced to look at him.

"Teth?! What are you doing, I'm trying to work!" She shut up as he narrowed his eyes and dropped her to the floor away from her books, placing himself between her and them when she tried to move back to them. "Come on, out of the way!" she yelled as she threw herself into his leg, but she was the only one who moved as she pushed against him. Instead of moving, Adam looked over at where she had been working and with super speed he read all of her books that were open. He then turned his gaze upon her, narrowing his eyes once again.

"Radiance...when I told you about how I returned to life, it was to tell you that death was not always the end, not to go and try to raise the dead." Radiance 'hmphed' and turned away from him, covering her ears with her hooves. "You have an obligation to your mother and to your people, yet you spend nearly every day in this chamber, trying to bring back your sister."

"And I'm close!" she yelled at him as she turned around, defiance written all over her face. "The silver sphere can bring her back, I'm just not sure how yet! Maybe I need to tap into its power or maybe merge with it, but I know that there has to be--"

"And what if you are wrong and playing with this power gets you killed?" he cut her off, the thunder in his voice silencing her. "If you were to die as well, it would break Celestia's heart, and then your land would be left in the hooves of that imbecile Luna. You are forgetting that you are next in line to be leader of your nation, yet you have no regard for your life nor for your responsibilities."

"And you are forgetting that it's none of your business!" she yelled at him with fire in her eyes equal to the one in Adam's. Spike was hiding in the darker part of the room as the two glared at each other, cold fury in Adam's eyes and a blazing fire in Radiance's. "My sister was my only family for years, and it's my fault that she died, because I lacked the magic to save her. I will bring her back!"

"Creatures die all the time; there was nothing you could do," Adam spat back. "Do you believe that I do not miss my family; wish that there was a way that I could bring them back? I feel the sting of losing them everyday, but I have accepted that I cannot return them to the land of the living. I have moved passed that."

"HA! You tell me to move on when every day I know you want to fly back to your planet and exact revenge for your people!" Radiance shot back with scorn in her voice. "You haven't moved on! Every action you take is so you can get back to Earth and kill those who took from you! That's worse then what I'm doing! I'm trying to save a life while all you care about is killing! But that's what you do best, isn't it Black Adam?!" Adam's eyes at that moment would have caused even Superman to be concerned, but all Radiance did was stare at him with the same fire in her eyes.

"You have no idea what I have suffered through," he said in the deadliest of whispers.

"No, I don't. But I know that unlike you, I'm trying to do something about my suffering," she spat before walking past him and back to her books. "I'm trying to save a life."

"I do that every single day. How many of YOUR subjects have I saved in battling the Titan or the changelings?" he asked her with cold fury. "I have stopped all those who are a threat to you and your nation."

"And how long until you turn that power against us?" Radiance snarled. "You've changed, Teth. Back when you were a plain human, I could see good in you, both me and my sister could. But now...there is only a darkness about you. And eventually, you will use it to do something you will regret." She said nothing else as she turned back to her books, causing Adam to spin on his heels and storm out of the room, shooting out of the castle and into the night sky.

'Impudent brat!' Adam roared in his mind as he let thunder and lightning flash around him, summoning thunderstorms to release his pent up frustrations. Streaks of electricity crashed into his body and shot off of him, but all of his attention was focused on what Radiance had said to him. 'She does not know what it is like to see everything you care about be destroyed in front of you, to have it taken away because you were powerless to stop it!'

"And she is wrong about me!" he roared, causing bolts to strike the ground below him. "I do not live only for vengeance! I also live for...for..." But as he tried to recall a time when he didn't fight for vengeance, all it did was bring back all of the battles that he had undergone in that name. When Shazam banished him from Earth, when Captain Marvel fought against him all those times, when Isis and Osiris had been killed...and even recently, with his nation and his desire to return to his planet.

A cold realization washed over Adam as he thought farther back to his life on Earth, trying to remember any good times that didn't end with a quest for vengeance. He could think of none. 'Is this truly what I have become?' he asked no one. 'A god whose only quest is vengeance? Could Radiance be right about me?' Adam looked up at the stars, waiting for a brief moment for someone to answer him, but with a shake of his head he brought his thoughts back to the planet below.

'Perhaps my life has become an endless cycle of vengeance, but it is all I have left of my old life,' he thought with strength as he shot back down to the planet, landing quickly in front of one of the castle entrances and heading inside. 'But must I continue this endless cycle? Must I be...a god of vengeance?' This thought had barely crossed his mind before he looked at a window, making out the images of his wife and children, along with Isis and Osiris looking at him with expectation in their eyes.

'But this quest is not vengeance, it is about punishing the guilty,' he thought as he slammed his fist into the wall besides him, shattering the windows around him. 'I am just...my actions have always been just! My people were innocent and the world decided to take them away, because of me. Because they were afraid of me! But even if they had no reason to fear me before, they do now. I will deliver divine justice upon them!'

"That is right," he reminded himself as he stood up tall, walking past the shattered window and the broken wall as he headed towards the throne room. "I will keep my promise to Celestia, but I must also keep my promise to the wizard and those fools! And Black Adam always keeps his promises."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Adam floated above the city outside of the castle, wondering silently where both of the princesses had gotten to. It was unusual for both of them to be out of the castle at the same time, so something important must be happening somewhere. Ponies gawked up at his him as he sat on thin air, ignoring them as he looked into the distance at the beautiful land.

"Help! Somepony!" Adam cracked his eyes open at the plea and he looked down to see a pony running off with what looked like a purse, the mare who was robbed chasing after him as best she could.

'Petty crime at best. Hardly worth my time,' he thought as he closed his eyes again, hearing the shouts of the guard and he assumed that the criminal was caught, but then a child's cries could be heard and he opened his eyes again to see the criminal had taken a foal hostage. The guards had surrounded him, but none of them dared to move as the criminal placed a knife to the kid's throat.

"Do you really think you'll get away with this?!" one of the guards snarled. "Put the kid down and hoof yourself over!"

"We're all dead anyway, it's just a matter of time!" the criminal roared back. "If it's not the griffons, then the dragons will kill us all! I'm taking as much as I can while I can!"

"Is that how you're pathetic brain thinks? That you can take anything you wish as long as your going to die?" All of the ponies turned to see Black Adam land in front of the criminal, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "You are going to die, but it won't be from a dragon or griffon." The criminal moved the blade closer to the foal's throat, but Adam flickered and the foal was suddenly in his hands.

"Run," he said to the foal as he placed him on the ground, cracking his knuckles while he walked deliberately towards the criminal, who backed away with fear in his eyes. Adam grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him off of the ground, watching with a smirk as the pony struggled to escape. "Despite your crimes, I am feeling generous right now. I will allow you to pick how I kill you."

"Uh, Mr. Adam?" Adam turned his head to see both the guards and the ponies looking at him with uncertainty, and some with fear, at his words. "We, uh, we don't kill criminals here without a trial. I don't know how it worked on...your world, but here we have a way we do things."

"On my world if you do not kill the criminal where he stands, then he will come back at a later date to destroy everything you hold dear," Adam whispered as he tightened his grip, causing the criminal to begin to gag. To his moderate surprise, the guard did not give up so easily.

"I'm sorry Black Adam, but until he is tried and convicted, I cannot allow you to kill him," the guard shakily said, swallowing hard when Adam turned his cold gaze upon him. "It's how we do things." Black Adam looked at him for a very long minute before with a scowl he tossed the pony into the guard's hooves, ascending into the air as they bound him.

"If that is how you wish to treat your criminals, then you will learn your lesson in time," Adam said with disappointment. "And when that day comes, you will wish that you would have listened to me." He took off into the sky as he said this, but came down a few moments later at the edge of the Equestria border, where he had sensed Celestia's magic. He landed twenty feet from her and a number of griffons, most of whom looked as though they were shocked to see him, except for the oldest one who smirked at his arrival.

"I knew that you wouldn't be able to keep your almighty pet away from here, Celestia," he spat with venom in his voice.

"Be careful worm, I have killed for less than that," Adam snarled back as he advanced towards the griffon, a king by the look of his attire, but Celestia placed herself between the two.

"I assure you I did everything I could to make sure he did not know of this," she calmly said to the king before turning towards the amused Adam. "How did you find us?"

"My power far exceeds any pony's and I can easily sense magic. Tracking you was like following the sun." Celestia sighed at his explanation and she tried to stop him from walking towards the griffons, but he brushed by her as he stalked up to the king. "So you are the infernal fool who threatened this land with war over a small piece of land." The griffons unsheathed their claws and surrounded him, but Adam smirked as he looked at them. "A fool leading a nation of fools. How perfect."

"Stay your claws, this was promised to be a peaceful meeting," Celestia growled as she let her horn glow and the king motioned for the griffons to wait, which they did with nasty looks. When the two parties had more or less calmed down, Celestia cleared her throat and looked at the king. "To return to where we were before Teth arrived, no Garda, I will not return this part of the land to your nation. Your father signed it to us and in return your nation received the floating mountain range. It is a fair trade."

"No, my father was just a fool who had just as good an idea of how to rule a nation as he did to raise a family," the king snarled, but then he took up a more regal position when he smirked at Celestia. "Though, he did manage to protect me from dying from disease. How are you doing on that front Celestia? Have you lost the other one y--" Garda tasted blood in his mouth before he knew what had hit him and when he blinked he found himself lying on the ground.

"Hard to insult a grieving mother with a broken jaw, is it not?" Adam snarled with vengeance as he marched towards the king, while Celestia tried to hold him back. The griffon guards wasted no time in attacking, but Garda blinked once and all of his soldiers lay broken at his feet. He looked up towards Adam with fear in his eyes for the first time, while the dark champion smirked as he looked down at him. "Amazing how confidence seems to melt away when you are facing an unstoppable foe."

"TETH!" Celestia roared with such a fury that Black Adam turned to look at her. "Do you have any idea what you have just done?!"

"Knocked a fool off of his high horse," Adam bluntly replied. Celestia glared at him before turning her gaze to the king.

"The land is yours. I apologize profusely for anything that Teth has said and done, and I will find a way to make it up to you. Come." She turned and took to the skies as she said this, Adam following her with interest. "You may have just caused a war with them. Do you not see that striking him was what he was trying to goad you into?"

"It matters not to me. The fool deserved it," Adam replied with a shrug. "And I will defend your people from an attack by them. You have my word." Celestia stopped flying and hovered in the air as she glared at Black Adam, who crossed his arms as he looked back at her.

"Do you not understand? The griffons are one of the strongest nations out there!" she yelled at him, seeing no other way to get through to him. "Their armies are both earth-based and aerial, making them superior to our own. And with their newest armor that can severely weaken magic, my armies would be at a severe disadvantage."

"Your armies would not be fighting them. I would," Black Adam calmly replied. "And I will destroy all of their forces, armor or not, and show the king what happens when a worm tries to meddle with a god." Celestia looked at him like he was crazy before shaking her head.

"You truly do not know how griffons work. If you slay their king, it will only make them hate ponies all the more!" she half begged with him, trying to get him to see reason. "If you destroy their armies and kill their king, then they will hold onto that grudge for all eternity! That is what kind of beings they are!" Her heart sank to the coldest depths when she saw the smile that Adam gave her, a smile that almost looked like a demon.

"Then the answer is simple. If they try to do that after I have defeated their forces, then I will simply wipe out their race as well." He turned and flew away as he said this, leaving a horrified Celestia to watch him go. And in that moment, Celestia realized what her sister had been trying to tell her. Black Adam was evil. Adam had almost made it out of the area when a blast of magic struck him in the back. He turned with a snarl to see who would dare do that, but confusion crossed his face when he found himself facing Celestia.

"You are the last one I would expect to attack me from behind," he calmly said, though he was ready for another attack. "Care to tell me why before I get aggressive?"

"I can forgive you for destroying Discord. I can look past you slapping that ass of a king," Celestia said with a cold fury. "But where I draw the line is when you threaten the innocent, like you did a moment ago. If you truly plan to carry out your threat against them...then I shall be the one who opposes you here and now."

Adam raised an eyebrow at her response. Celestia knew that she stood no chance against him, especially after what he had done to Discord. And not only did she not have jurisdiction over the griffons, but they were also an enemy to her and her ponies. But here she was, willing to fight Black Adam to the bitter end to protect them, despite them not deserving it. And despite himself, Black Adam let a smile cross his face as he looked at Celestia with a new found respect. She was stronger than he had believed.

"Very well Celestia, I will stay my hand," he said with a thin smile, Celestia looking at him in confusion. "But only because of you." He took off as he said this, leaving a very confused princess who was trying to figure out what Adam had meant.

The Only Chance They Have

Black Adam knew that Celestia wasn't looking at him in quite the same way since the incident with the griffons, but after a few days, the way she talked to him told him that she had put it behind her. Though he rarely had the chance to talk to her, due to his duty of constantly supervising Radiance, who now never left the sphere's room.

"I wish that she would let Sunny rest in peace," Celestia mourned, once Adam told her where Radiance had been. "Radiance could never accept failure, but maybe if she fails here it will help her to learn how to be at peace with the way things happen. Any sign of the griffons in Equestria?"

"No, and I have done a very thorough search," Adam answered. Neither he nor Celestia liked the quiet following Adam's attack on the griffon king. "We have expected some kind of retaliation, but there has been nothing but silence on their end. Either they learned their lesson from meeting me, or they are planning something. Since that king is a fool though, I assume it will be the latter." Celestia shook her head before turning her gaze to the ponies walking the streets below them, a smile crossing her face.

"Everything seems so peaceful. Yet I feel that it will not last," she muttered. "All of the other species seem to want Equestria and the goods that it holds, even if they have to take it by force. Not to mention..." She stopped talking there, but Adam knew there was something that she wasn't telling him. He cast that thought aside when Shining Armor and Cadence walked out onto the balcony with them, a huge smile on Shining's face.

"With a look like that upon your face, no one would think of you as the captain of the guard," Adam said, but Shining brushed the words off with a flick of his hooves as both he and Cadence looked at Celestia.

"We're going to be heading out on our honeymoon tomorrow," Shining informed Celestia, who nodded with a happy smile. "Mareiland is wonderful this time of year, and there's a festival coming up there that the two of us have been dying to see."

"Yes, it will be nice to finally get some peace and quiet, especially with Adam causing such trouble around here."

"You have been speaking with Luna again. I would advise against it if you wish to be a good ruler." Celestia slapped Adam with her wing before smiling at the pair of ponies.

"I am glad that the two of you will be able to get away from this for a while. I am a bit envious of you," she admitted with a bashful smile. "I haven't been able to truly get away from the royal life in over five hundred years. Ugh, I feel old." The three ponies laughed at the joke while Adam turned his attention to the distance, where Radiance was. He didn't know why, but he felt something for just a moment...and he didn't like it.

"Excuse me." He was already at the old castle before the ponies could answer him and he floated his way into the castle, before gliding down to the room where Radiance was with the spheres. What he saw confirmed his fears. The room was filled with silver energy crackling everywhere, sending tendrils through the walls and threatening the safety of the structure. He found Spike hiding behind a fallen chunk of ceiling, while Radiance stood in the center of the room, looking like her magic was being sucked out of her by the silver sphere.

"Hold on! I will end this!" Adam yelled over the magic as he pointed his arm at the sphere, but Radiance threw herself between it and him.

"NO! I almost have the spell working!" she roared with enough conviction to stop Black Adam, who slightly lowered his hand in surprise. But when he narrowed his eyes and saw through the magic flinging itself across the room, he realized why she had stopped him. He could just barely make the outline of a pony in the center of all the magic, but it was a vague outline at best.

'She has almost brought her to life,' he realized. 'Or she is trying to place her own soul within the sphere.' But his eyes narrowed again when he noticed that Radiance could barely stand and the sphere was syphoning the magic out of her at an alarming speed. Adam's senses told him that she would not survive much longer and he knew he had to act.

"Just a bit more," Radiance begged. "Just a bit more power!" Adam didn't know how to handle this. He knew that he could easily destroy the sphere, but he had no idea what that would do if that much magical energy were released. But the sphere was killing Radiance and he could not allow that to happen.

'But with a bit more magic, the spell might work. Yet the last time I gave my power to another, it was nearly the death of all of us,' he remembered, Isis and Osiris flashing before him, their faces telling him not to do it. Then Radiance cried out in pain and his resolve steeled, and he held out his hand and aimed it at the sphere, speaking only one word.

"Shazam."

A stream of electric magic flowed from his arm and into the sphere, channeling it with his electric powers, but then the sphere grew brighter than the lightning that flowed into it. The sphere began to surge with power that even Adam could feel, so by instinct he threw himself forward and grabbed both Spike and Radiance, using his body to shield them from the blast of magic that went off. It burned against his skin, but he gritted his teeth and never moved. Within seconds the wave stopped and Adam released his grasp on the two, who rushed out from under him to see what had happened.

"Where's the sphere?" Radiance asked as she looked around the room, seeing only the black sphere on its side of the room, yet its sister was nowhere to be seen. "No...nononono! It can't be gone! It can't be!"

"Yet, it is," Adam confirmed, not able to sense its magical energies anywhere on the planet. "I am sorry Radiance, but I am going to take you back to Celestia. She will need to know what happened here and how this may affect the land." Radiance tried to fight him, but he grabbed her with one arm and Spike with the other before rocketing out of the castle, landing on the balcony where Celestia was moments later.

"Adam? Radiance? What has happened?" she asked them.

"Explain," Adam demanded to Radiance.

"What have you done?" Celestia muttered to Radiance once she had explained herself, leaning back against the wall next to her as her eyes shrunk in terror. "This is not good. This...this could be the end of everything as we know it."

"I didn't mean to," Radiance whispered, but Celestia was no longer listening to her at that point.

"Without the two spheres keeping each other in check, the sphere of destruction will continue to grow in power until it consumes the land," Celestia whispered in shock, looking back at Radiance with fear. "I only let you stay there because I believed that you would not have the magical strength to affect either of the orbs, but you have destroyed one of them. Radiance, I am so...disa-"

"You are as foolish as your sister if you believe that she was the one to affect the orb." All three sets of eyes turned towards Adam, who crossed his arms with a frown. "The sphere was killing Radiance, draining the magical energy from her body, so I used my strongest spell, to try to complete her spell, yet it seems that I ended up destroying it. Do not blame her for the sphere's weakness."

"Teth...you destroyed it?" Celestia asked in confusion, trying to process what he had said, but Adam had already turned his back and was taking to the skies.

"If what you said is true, then we will need another powerful magical source to keep the sphere of destruction at bay," he reminded them, letting the lightning flash across his suit. "And since I have just destroyed the sphere of creation, that means my magic is far stronger than the spheres' magic. I will have that sphere destroyed within moments as well." He took to the skies again and arrived at the castle to see that a small portion of it was already missing. He flew within its walls to see that the black sphere was already sucking in all of the materials around it, causing Adam to snarl.

"You will not have this land. I swear this!" Electricity flew from his fingertips and wrapped themselves around the black sphere, creating a cage of power that began to subdue its power. Yet to Adam's shock, the black sphere began to consume the electricity, adding to its already great power. "Not yet. SHAZAM!" The ultimate spell thundered down from above and struck upon the sphere, adding its godly magic to the electric cage. Finally the sphere seemed to be subdued, as the darkness that had been eating away at the castle was drawn back into it.

'I should destroy it like its sister,' Adam thought as he raised a hand and prepared another surge of electricity, sending his power coursing into it and blasting it into nothingness. With a smirk as he looked at the small remains of what he used to consider a threat he turned to leave. The sky thundered as Adam took to the skies again, shooting out of the castle and into the sky, planning to tell Celestia that the sphere had been destroyed. So focused was he on his task that he never saw the shadowy unicorn that slinked into the castle once he had left, cautiously entering the hidden chamber as he muttered a spell, causing the sphere to reform within seconds.

"Foolish Adam, you cannot destroy destruction," the unicorn said with glee as he cast another spell that calmed the sphere's destructive nature. "But thanks to you, we now have the sphere And the plan can begin."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

The sun felt great against his coat, but what felt even greater was the sight of Cadence running around in the ocean with a huge smile on her face, enjoying herself for what felt like the first time since the changeling invasion.

'Finally, some peace and quiet,' Shining thought to himself as he tipped his hat over his eyes and leaned back in his chair, letting the sea breeze take away all his problems. 'A week to ourselves is just what we needed. Now if only Twilight would stop sending me letters every day.' Cadence walked out of the ocean and shook the water from her coat, spraying Shining in the process.

"Now why did you go and do that? I was enjoying myself," he teased before getting splashed again. Cadence smirked at him before looking at a clock off in the distance with wide eyes.

"Come on, the movie starts in a little under an hour," she said to him as her horn glowed, picking up the beach supplies and quickly packing them away. Shining helped as best he could, but she had finished the packing within seconds and was already dragging her husband across the beach.

"You do know that you're a princess, right?" he asked her with a smirk while wrapping a hoof around her. "I'm certain that if you told the theater to wait to show the movie, nopony would complain."

"While not a bad idea, I don't like to abuse my power like that," she said with a smile as she rubbed her head against him. The taxi arrived to take them to their hotel, Cadence throwing the bags into the back while hopping into the taxi. "Shining, is something the matter?" she asked him once she saw her husband's face. His eyes narrowed at the sky.

"Cadence...send a message to Celestia," Shining snarled as he tore open one of his bags and pulled out his collapsible spear, which he then pointed at the sky. Cadence followed his gaze to see to her utmost horror that thousands of armored griffons were descending upon the city, attacking any pony that they could get their claws on. Cadence began to scribble away while Shining let out a yell and charged the closest griffon to him, driving his spear into its shoulder.

"Get out of my land!" he roared at it while bucking it hard in the jaw. Two more griffons flew down from the skies and tackled Shining to the ground, pinning him there as one tried to slash his throat.

"And get off my husband!" Two bolts of magic knocked the griffons into the sides of nearby buildings, allowing Shining to hop back up to his hooves as Cadence ran over to him. "There are thousands of them! Did that damned king send his whole army here?"

"Did you send the letter?" Shining asked with worry, as more armored griffons descended upon the land.

"Yes, but I have no idea how soon until Celestia gets here!" Cadence responded before blasting another pair of griffons out of the sky. All eyes turned towards the princess as she did this and the griffons all snarled with victory in their eyes.

"It's one of the princesses! Grab her!" Both Shining and Cadence threw up a barrier to protect themselves at the same time, but the sheer volume of bodies that threw themselves at the barrier began to shatter the magic shield.

"Hold on!" Cadence yelled, but with a shriek the griffons pushed through the barrier and sent the pair skidding across the streets. Shining barely had a moment to pull himself back up to his hooves before being tackled to the ground by a number of griffons, who clamped a weird device to his horn. When he tried to use his magic, a sharp pain coursed through his body that forced him to the street.

"What do we do with this one?" one of the griffons asked, once they were done clamping one of the devices to Cadence as well, who required a larger number of griffons to subdue her.

"Kill him. All we need is the princess." Shining struggled as best he could against the large number of griffons, but there were just too many for him to fight. All he could do was watch as one of them brought its claws back to strike his throat. Cadence screamed as the blow was struck. Shining closed his eyes as he felt blood cover his body, but he felt no pain from what should have been a fatal wound. When he opened his eyes again, he found a now-headless griffon resting on his body, and a very angry human in black standing over them.

"Black Adam," Shining whispered as the griffons all backed away from the black-clad human. With godly speeds, Adam impaled a griffon on his arm while kicking another one in half, electrocuting the one on his arm before tossing its body into the sky. The griffons didn't even have time to react as one was punched into the stratosphere and the last was simply crushed in his grasp.

"It seems that everyone hates the two of you," he muttered as he snapped the magic suppressors on their horns, before turning back to the battle in the city. "Celestia got your letter, but I was far faster than she is. The two of you go check on the ponies while I clean up this mess." He shot off into the air, leaving the two ponies star struck.

"Should we...help him?" Cadence asked.

"Trust me, Cadence, if anypony is going to need help it will be the griffons."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Adam smirked as he felt the griffon's skull shatter under his boot and the body fell to the streets below. All of the creatures were now focusing on him and ignoring the ponies below. Despite being horribly outnumbered, there was only a smile on Adam's face as he tore through the enemy forces, literally and figuratively. His hand slashed through a throat before a blast of lightning killed the griffon and the hundred behind it.

"I gave your king fair warning as to what would happen if he tried to harm those under my protection," he yelled into the storm of griffons, only getting shrieks and roars of rage in response. He clasped his hands together and slowly pulled them apart while creating a giant sphere of power and electricity, which he then shot into the biggest cluster of griffons that he could find. The explosion incinerated any caught within, and those closest were sucked into the death trap despite their ability to fly.

"You think of yourself so powerful?!" one of the griffons yelled at him as it flung itself towards him. "Our armor was forged from mithril! Your magic cannot--!" Adam flew right at the griffon and impaled him upon his arm, smirking at all of the other griffons who watched the bloody spectacle.

"Your armor may have protected you from the inferior pony magic, but my magic comes from the gods." To strike his point home, he summoned the lightning upon his arm and burned the griffon to ashes, armor and all. "There is nothing that can protect you from my wrath. Nothing." The ponies that weren't being chased by griffons watched the bodies of the griffons fall from the skies as Adam tore through their ranks, but the more he fought, the more he noticed a problem.

'Despite how easy this is, there will still be a large number of casualties by the time this battle is over,' he thought as he looked down upon the city, catching a griffon that tried to attack him from behind and crushing its windpipe. Despite most of the griffons attacking him, there will still those that were attacking the innocent down below. And he hated those who chose to attack the innocent. They were weak. He decimated whatever griffons were still around him before rocketing off to where Shining and Cadence were helping others, landing in front of them with enough force to create a crater in the street.

"I need your assistance," he said to the stunned pair. "I need a sample of your equestrian magic. Do not ask questions, just do as I say!" Shining and Cadence both looked at him with a bit of surprise before creating two spheres of magic in front of Adam, who grabbed the two spheres and began to learn how they felt. 'This magic is far different from my own, yet it seems that all ponies posses some kind of magic within them, even if they cannot access it like I can. But the griffons...their magic is not like the ponies. Now I can end this.'

He took to the skies again, floating right in the center of the city so he could observe all. Clasping his hands together, he began to mutter ancient enchantments while creating a sphere of crackling lightning in between his palms. "Ibal es, Alakashazam." The electricity turned a greyish color and Adam nodded, knowing that the spell had worked. He then thrust his hands into the air and let loose the word...

"Shazam!"

The magical lightning flew from his hands and ascended into the clouds above the town, thundering for a moment before divine bolts struck down from the heavens, blasting anything that they touched into ash. With the ponies magic attuned to his own now, he kept the spell from striking any ponies, leaving only griffons to be struck down. He crossed his arms with a smile as he watched thousands of griffons fall to the earth, smoldering as they did so.

"That was far too easy. And Celestia believed these creatures a threat." He turned and flew off to inform Celestia that the forces had been destroyed, leaving the ponies to cheer him as he flew off, while Shining and Cadence watched him go as well.

"That...power," Cadence said with horror in her voice as she looked at all of the bodies, Shining wrapping a hoof around her and pulled her close.

"That's war, dear. But if it wasn't for him...we all would have died."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"Well what else was I supposed to do? Slap them on the wrist and send them off with a warning?" Adam snarled as Celestia walked away from him, rage on her face as she stalked down the castle halls. "They were attacking your people with lethal force and I responded in kind. That is war."

"I know what war is Teth, but what you did was slaughter," she scowled back at him. "I heard the reports from the ponies. You made bodies rain from the skies after creating enough power to fuel my country for years. That was overkill! A show of force would have scared them off, especially if it was from you!"

Adam scoffed at her idea. "A show of force? Scare them off? Celestia, if I did that they would believe me a kind-hearted weakling who did not finish his foes. By killing them all, I showed their foolish king what happens when you send mortals to fight a god." Celestia turned with a snarl and walked right up to Adam, glaring into his eyes.

"So ponies with kind hearts are weaklings? I would remind you that it was my kind heart that took a mute human in and gave him a place to rest for ten years," she growled. "But maybe I should have just had him thrown out. Then maybe I wouldn't be a kind-hearted weakling."

"Celestia, I was not implying," Adam began, but Celestia wasn't listening. Adam sighed while placing his hands to his head as Celestia stalked away, knowing that he would have to deal with that later. His attention was grabbed at that moment by Shining and Cadence, who had just returned to the castle.

"So, you two finally return," Adam remarked as the guards saluted them. "How is the city?"

"Minor damage and casualties, thanks to you," Shining said. Adam nodded in response. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Cadence giving him a similar look to the ones Luna gave him, and he rolled his eyes. Turning his attentions back to Shining, he found that the captain still hadn't left yet.

"Is there something else you require of me?"

Shining looked up at Adam and inhaled once. "I wanted...to thank you, for arriving when you did. I know that Celestia and Cadence are upset with how you handled the griffons, but if you had not acted when you did, then more lives would have been lost...including ours," he said as he looked at his wife. "I wont forget what you did for me, Black Adam. If you ever need anything from me or the guards, we're in your debt now." He walked away to his wife as he said this, leaving Adam to nod as he did so.

'Finally, one of them gets it,' he thought to himself. 'I do not kill for the sake of killing, like those petty criminals of Earth. I do it to protect the peace and to save lives. That is what those weaklings on Earth never got. That I was trying to save them. I uphold justice--a justice that they will all have to face.'

"Helping" Others

Adam stood silently in the blowing snow, eyes closed and arms crossed as he awaited the arrival of the king of the frozen tundra. Despite Prince Shining's insistence, he had stayed behind alone and had sent the Elements and the couple ahead, wanting to deal with this problem by himself. His cape billowed behind him in the intense wind, yet his skin never felt the icy fingers. The Crystal Empire shown behind him despite the sun being hidden behind dark clouds, yet Adam's only thought was on the foe that Celestia had tasked him with capturing.

"King Sombra, and I use that term loosely, was a madpony as well as a tyrant who ruled over the Crystal Empire with an iron hoof," she had told him back at the castle. "While Twilight and the others are searching for the Crystal Heart, I want you to keep Sombra at bay. He has great magical power, yet you should be able to subdue him without too much trouble. But do your best to bring him in ALIVE, Teth."

'That will be the one order that I will have difficulty with,' Adam silently thought, his skin tingling as he felt a dark presence approaching him. Tendrils of dark smoke snaked across the ground as the darkness advanced towards him, but Adam never budged nor opened his eyes. The darkness swarmed around him, encircling him as a voice within the darkness began to speak.

"What be this creature?" a booming voice resounded, getting Adam to crack his eyes open as he looked into the void in front of him. He spotted twin green eyes peering at him through the smoke, with little flashes of lightning rumbling within it. "Never in all my years of living have I seen a being like you before. Speak your name before I strike you down."

"How...humorous," Black Adam smirked as he stared the eyes in the smoke down. "I was about to give you the same demand." With a roar Sombra unleashed his dark magic upon Black Adam, consuming the very ground that Adam stood upon. Sending a meteor of darkness into the air, Sombra laughed once before bringing it down upon him. A massive flash of darkness went off, kicking up clouds of now black smoke into the air.

"Well, whatever you were, you are no longer," Sombra chuckled, only to have his jaw hit the ground when Adam walked unscathed out of the cloud, brushing the dark snow off of his suit with a thin smile. The next thing Sombra felt was Adam's hand around his jaw, as the dark god shot through the smoke and tore Sombra from his misty form. Adam drove Sombra head first into the snow and slowly began to tighten his grip on the king's head.

"I am amazed at how arrogant the creatures of this land are," Black Adam smirked as Sombra began to cry out in pain. "Do not assume that your foe is beaten until you hold his corpse in your hands. Farewell, oh false king." Sombra's horn flashed and he teleported himself out of Adam's grasp, appearing a few feet from the god with blood running from his nose.

"I am not a false king! I am the true king of the Crystal Empire!" he roared with all his dark fury. "I ruled over my land until the princesses decided that I was not fit to rule, and so they cast me to the side and put that foal Cadence on my throne. I will reclaim what is rightfully mine, even if I have to bring down my own empire to do it. If you side with that weakling Celestia, then I will destroy you as well." Adam leaned forward to strike him down, but Sombra's words held him back as they reminded Adam of himself.

"I can understand your pain," Adam said, getting a confused look from Sombra. "Being cast out of your kingdom because others do not like you and being imprisoned for years, I understand that pain. Yet you are willing to sacrifice your own subjects so you can reclaim the throne. That is where you fail as a leader. A true leader puts his nation first." Sombra opened his mouth to respond, but faster than the lightning, Adam grabbed and crushed his jaw.

"You have told me your intent. There is nothing left to say." Adam lifted both of his hands over his head as Sombra howled in pain, creating the sphere of lightning in his palms as he shook his head at the dark king. "Being a ruler does not mean that you are free to do whatever you want. It means that you are a servant to the people that you rule over. That is why I side with Celestia. She is far stronger than you."

He flung the sphere of electricity into Sombra's chest, backing away slightly as the dark king was consumed by the lightning in one massive flash. When the light show cleared, all that was left of Sombra was his crown, which Adam bent over to pick up with a shake of his head. He turned to head back to the empire when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He pointed his finger at a tiny sliver of shadow magic slithering towards the rocks and blasted it apart with a bolt.

"A worthy attempt, but you die today," he said before looking around. It took him most of the day to track down all of the shadows that tried to escape him, but once he had burned them all, he was certain that Sombra was dead.

"And with that, the land is safe again," he muttered as he took to the sky. On his way to the empire, he felt a wave of wonderful magic wash over him, magic that blasted away the snow and the darkness that had surrounded the land and replaced it with sunlight. Looking upon the Crystal Empire, he saw that it had been returned to its former glory, with the Crystal Heart in the center of the city. He found the mane six in the center of the empire and he floated down besides them to the shock of the crystal ponies.

"It seems that you succeeded in your mission," he said to the six, who all smiled at each other. Shining and Cadence joined them as well, to look over the now shimmering crystal ponies, before Shining looked at Adam with interest.

"Say, Black Adam, what happened to Sombra?" Shining asked. "Last I saw of him was that giant cloud heading towards the empire. Where did he go?" Adam threw the crown at the hooves of the ponies, who looked from it to him with horror in their eyes as they understood what this meant.

"He will never bother you again," Adam said. "The grave is his land now."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Luna barged through the doors to her sister's room, startling the white alicorn who had been sunbathing for the last hour. "Sister, I need to have words with you and before you ask, no, it cannot wait," Luna said with such a tone that all Celestia could do was dumbly nod, while pulling out a cushion for her sister to sit on. "It is about Black Adam."

"Luna, I am done talking about Teth with you," Celestia frowned, but her sister kept on talking.

"I have been thinking about him and what he has done so far, and I fear for our nation if we allow him to continue acting the way he does!" Luna yelled, forgetting all of her composure in her emotional state. "He has already killed two of the most dangerous threats that we have faced and he did it with ease. Our powers combined couldn't beat Discord, and he did it in a minute. We need to take precautions for when we need to bring him down."

Celestia's face told her sister that the words had not changed her opinion. "Sister, I am fully aware of Teth's power and that he prefers to...kill his foes. I do not like that side of him either, but you must know that everything he does is to help us, to protect our nation," Celestia debated. "Without him, Discord would reign supreme, or if not him Chrysalis would have our land. I am trying to stem his killing attitude, but I do not believe that he would turn on us."

"Let us talk about Chrysalis and the changelings, shall we?" Luna brought up, ignoring most of what Celestia had just said. "Not only did he kill her, but he slaughtered pretty much every single changeling that came with her that day. Despite us barely losing any ponies, the death toll was still in the thousands! He almost wiped an entire race off the face of Equis!"

"A race that was trying to do the same to us," Celestia bitterly said. "Do you believe that I condone his actions of taking all of their lives. Or the way in which he disposed of Chrysalis? No. You know as well as I do that I hate to see anypony die, but when at war, death is inevitable. Teth doesn't kill for the sake of it, he does it to protect us. Just as he protected me when Chrysalis had beaten me...catching me when I failed." Luna narrowed her eyes at her sister, only to widen them with shock when she saw that her face was slightly red.

"I do not believe it...have you fallen for the madpony?!" Luna half yelled, snapping Celestia out of her thoughts. "Of all the beings in this land you could develop feelings for, you choose a madpony that has a higher kill count that anypony else I know?" Celestia tried to explain herself to her sister, but Luna had built up momentum. "Why him?! He has threated me, killed numerous times and is the greatest threat that we could ever face. Out of all the ponies, you had to chose him!?"

"You did not know him for ten years like I have," Celestia snapped back, beginning to lose her composure. "I have seen the good in him as well as the bad! Yet you seem to only focus on the bad!"

"That is because it's all he is!" Luna roared. "He is merciless, he is unstoppable, and his mind changes on a whim! And I have seen it in his eyes that he is the most evil, heartless creature that--"

"At least he never stabbed me in the back." The room went quiet as Luna looked at her sister with hurt in her eyes, seeing the rage that flashed in Celestia's. For a good moment, the two stared at each other before Celestia blinked and shook her head. "I am sorry for my words. I am tired and have been unable to rest lately. I did not mean what I said." Luna continued to gaze at her sister until the door opened and Radiance walked inside, reading the room in almost an instant.

"Um, should I come back?" she asked.

"No daughter, please speak your mind."

"I have received a message from Twilight and the others," she said, both Luna and Celestia perking up at this announcement. "The Crystal Heart has been restored to its rightful place, and the Crystal Empire has been freed." Luna let out a laugh of happiness, while Celestia let out a breath she had been holding since she had sent Twilight and the others there.

"What about Teth? Did he capture Sombra?" Celestia asked.

"According to the letter...Black Adam killed Sombra." Celestia hung her head slightly as she felt her sister's gaze burning into her.

"Teth...alright sister, you win. I will speak to Teth about his actions and try to convince him of a better way," Celestia agreed before she turned and left the room, needing to be alone for a few minutes. When she left the room, Luna looked to Radiance, who was standing there uncomfortably as she tried to look for a moment to leave.

"Radiance, may I speak with you?" Luna asked. Radiance walked over to her and sat down beside her, Luna biting her lip slightly before speaking. "I need to ask you to hear me out without judging my actions. Can you promise me that?" Radiance promised right away and Luna sighed. "I am building an army, in secret, should the day ever arise that I need to wage war with Black Adam."

"You're what?" Radiance asked in disbelief, but Luna held up a hoof before she could start.

"Even if you are his friend, you must realize how dangerous he is," Luna said, Radiance nodding slightly. "And I fear that the day will arrive when he turns that power of his against us. Celestia...she does not seem to be able to think that he will do such a thing, but I know from my own past what beings like him...what we...are like. Absolute power corrupts absolutely." Radiance said nothing, but continued to stare up at her aunt with cautious eyes.

"I must ask you not to tell Celestia. If told, it would be a matter of time before Adam found out. And that would be the death of us all." Radiance stood up and walked away, not sure what to do. She wandered the halls for a while before walking out into the starry night sky, looking up at the constellations with sad eyes.

"Sunnysmiles...what do I do?" she asked with sadness in her voice. "How would you help our family smile again?"

S=H=A=Z=A=M

A familiar sight met Adam's eyes as he looked down upon the town of Ponyville, a sight involving a certain yellow Pegasus again. In the past few days that he had been observing the town, he had seen Fluttershy be bullied by a number of larger pegasi--not just once--but three times, never once bothering to defend herself in any way.

'And here we are again, the same scene with the same people,' Adam snarled silently as he looked down upon the pegasi, backing Fluttershy into a corner and mocking her mercilessly. The yellow Pegasus had tears in her eyes and avoided looking at them, but not ONCE did she try to defend herself. 'She is a coward and weak. And yet she is supposed to be an Element of Harmony. How sickening.' Yet her cries did not go unanswered, as Adam descended from above and kicked one of the pegasi across the town streets.

"Out of my sight," he sternly said to the other two, who sprinted away as fast as their hooves could carry them. He then turned his stern gaze upon Fluttershy, who was trying to gather back up the animal food that he been knocked over by the bullies. "That is the third time in as many days that they have assaulted you Fluttershy."

"So, I will thank you for scaring them off," she said sweetly as she turned and started to head for her cottage, but Adam wasn't letting her off the hook that easily.

"Why do you not stand up for yourself?" he asked her while floating along behind her, carrying the heavier objects with ease. "You are an Element of Harmony, friend of the princesses, and yet these insolent fools continue to treat you like you are dirt. You should turn your Elemental power against them and show them what you are capable of."

"Oh no, I couldn't do that to them," she said with a small smile. "I don't like violence and besides, they don't really mean it. They're only messing with me." Adam scowled at the pathetic response, but he held his tongue as the two arrived at the cottage. He had never truly spent that much time with the Elements due to all the tasks that needed to be done, so he was slightly surprised to see animals of every shape and size taking up residence at her place.

"You certainly have a lot of roommates," Adam observed as Fluttershy opened her cottage, ducking as he entered and throwing the bags into her kitchen. A white rabbit hopped down the stairs at the noise and Fluttershy immediately ran over to it, her smile turning to a frown when it gave her a cold stare.

"Oh right, your food," she remembered before going into the kitchen, Adam watching the rabbit with growing hatred. It seemed to believe that it was the ruler of the household, and the arrogance shown on its face. "Here you go, I'm sorry that it is so late," Fluttershy said as she placed a nice-looking salad at the rabbit's feet.

"You do not need to apologize to a rodent," Adam muttered, watching as the rabbit sniffed the salad once before it made a gagging noise, then it crossed it's arms and looked away from the food. Adam raised an eyebrow as Fluttershy began to beg the rodent to eat its food, but the stubborn vermin refused.

"Angel, please, you need to eat," Fluttershy begged with the rabbit, who glared at her once before it grabbed a magazine and pulled it out, showing her a massive salad. "But I can't afford that right now. Maybe next month but right now--" Angel grabbed Fluttershy's mane and pulled her into a glare, getting a weak whimper out of the pony. Then Angel felt pain course through his body as Adam placed his golden boot into Angel's face.

"You dare to assault the pony that has given you not only shelter, but feeds you as well?" Adam roared with power as he walked over to the bleeding rabbit, which looked up at him with absolute horror in its eyes. "You are an ungrateful, arrogant stain that needs to be removed," he scowled as he pointed his hand at the rabbit. "Permanently."

"NO!" Fluttershy yelled as she threw herself over her bunny, looking up at Adam with fear in her eyes. Adam scowled at her once before he left the cottage, waiting for Fluttershy to join him outside when she was done with that parasite. She did so, and when he looked into her eyes he saw a hint of anger, but only a hint. Pitiful. "Why would you do that to him? He can be a little pushy but he--"

"You are weak," Adam bluntly said, cutting off Fluttershy midsentence. "You are supposed to be a protector of this land and the ponies within it, yet you do not even bother to protect yourself." Fluttershy began to shrink under his cold gaze, and only when she hid behind her mane did Adam finally lose his patience. He looked around at all of the animals watching them and decided that he needed to prove a point. And while she might hate him at first, she would be grateful for it later. "What would you do if a pony came here and started to kill all of your beloved animals?"

"W-what? Why would you ask that?" Fluttershy asked, but Black Adam's face told her she wasn't getting an answer. "I would ask them, very politely to stop." Confusion appeared on her face when Adam physically laughed at her response before looking back at her with a cold glare.

"And if your...words...failed to move them, what would you do then?"

"Well, I would very forcefully ask them to stop, maybe stare at them for a moment." Adam shook his head in shame, not believing how falsely this Element had chosen its host. She couldn't even conceive the thought of striking another being, let alone fighting one to the death to protect others. That left him with only one choice. To make her see.

Without another word, Adam turned and pointed his hand at the chicken coup, firing a blast of lightning that blew the front off of it and set it ablaze. Fluttershy gasped with horror as the chickens began to race out, squawking in fear as some of their feathers had been set ablaze. She rushed over to help them, only to hear another rumble of thunder and the birdhouses were blasted into nothingness.

"Adam stop! Why are you doing this?" she asked him, but his gaze remained cold as he looked past her and fired again, destroying more of the animals' homes. He snapped his fingers and a strong wind began to blow, tossing the birds around like dust in the wind. Fluttershy tried to take to the air to grab them, but the winds were far too strong for her and she was forced back down. "Adam! Please!" Adam looked down at her with nothingness in his eyes before firing off more lightning, leaving Fluttershy to desperately run around to save her animals.

'But I won't be fast enough!' she panicked as she barely got a family of mice out of the line of fire, but the thunder continued to rumble and more blasts went off.

'It seems that she is not getting it. I will have to be more direct,' Adam thought as he pointed his hand towards the house, specifically at a rabbit that he had wanted to blast in the ten seconds that he had known it. He was just about to fire when he very faintly felt something hit him in the back of his head. And while he wasn't sure if he had been struck, the gonging sound told him that he had been. He turned around to see Fluttershy standing behind him, tears streaking down her face as she held a shovel with a dent in it. A small smile crossed Adam's face as he looked down at her.

"You have taken the first step to becoming a better protector," he told her, yet the look she gave him told Adam that she wouldn't be forgiving him. He could live with that. "I do this now so that when the day arrives where you are forced to fight a foe to the end, you will not hesitate. There are some beings in this universe devoid of soul or conscious, that only seek to slaughter all in their path. They only listen to one answer and that is the answer I taught you today. Force."

He looked down at her to see that she was far to focused on helping the animals that had been attacked to listen to him, but her face told him that he had made his point. He could see a faint fire in her eyes now and that was enough. He took to the skies and headed to Canterlot, planning on telling Celestia what he had done here before Luna could spin her own version of it. And unknown to him, the yellow Pegasus watched him go, eyes cold as a new emotion entered her heart, one that she had rarely felt.

Absolute hatred.

Griffon The Idea

"Chin up, back straight," Celestia instructed the young Radiance, who did her best to mirror her mother's posture. "Straighter, Radiance; look a bit more professional," Celestia added as she sipped some tea that she had made for them.

"I'm trying, Mom, really I am, but this...it isn't me," Radiance sighed as thunder shook the castle, followed by the rain beating across the walls. "I can't do all of this fancy princess stuff. Don't you have anything else I could do, like one of your special mage forces or maybe one of the anti-dark magic force?" Celestia pursed her lips as her daughter stood up and began to walk around the room before relenting, taking a moment to put away the tea.

"It's weird having a thunderstorm that's not being caused by Teth," Radiance observed as she looked out the window, noticing how the lightning seemed to be striking around a single point near the castle. 'Teth.' "Did he...tell you about Fluttershy? I can't believe that he would do something like that."

"I do not think he was trying to be mean, I think that he went about teaching her all the wrong way," Celestia added to defend Adam. "You force a pony to learn something your way, you have to teach them in a way they'll understand," Celestia said while gently brushing Radiance with her wing. "Something I still need to figure out with you."

"Maybe another day, Mom, but right now it seems that your advisors want you." Celestia looked down the hallway to see her advisor and his understudy walking towards the pair, neither of them having a pleased look on their faces.

"Alright Radiance, that's enough for today, go...do whatever you want. What did he do this time, Willow?" Celestia asked the advisor as he and his understudy walked over to Celestia, Radiance running by them as she headed out.

"Actually, Princess, we are not here to talk about Black Adam, although we do wish he was here at the moment," the advisor Willow said with fear in his voice, gaining Celestia's full attention. "We have recently received a message from the dragon kingdom. Their king Draco has passed away. His son Firewing now rules the dragons."

"Father help me," Celestia whispered as she shook her head. "Did the message to us say anything else?"

"It said that they wanted to let you know that a change is coming, one that you might not like," Willow muttered weakly, pulling the letter out of his pocket and giving it to Celestia. She scanned over it quickly with a sinking feeling in her chest. The letter seemed to be more of a threat than anything else. "What do you want to do, Princess?"

"I need to find Teth. Do any of you have any idea where he went?" she asked the two. Willow shook his head, but the young unicorn beside him spoke up.

"Um, I think he said something about the Griffon Kingdom." Celestia's eyes widened before she turned and sprinted to the nearest exit, opening her wings and taking to the skies despite the rain storm, using her magic to propel herself across the thundering skies. Both fear and anger gripped her heart as she flew as fast as her wings could carry her, fear for the griffons and anger at Teth if he was doing what she believed he was doing.

'Doesn't he know anything about the word 'diplomacy'?' she thought to herself as she struggled to see through the rain, beginning to give up that she would find him before she found the bodies, but to her surprise she sensed his magic at the very edge of the border with the griffons. She flew as best she could until she practically flew into him floating in the air, arms crossed and a cold stare on his face as he glared across the border. Looking through the rain, the princess saw a large number of griffons there, but they were not armored like their forces were. Instead, they carried bags and had children with them.

'These are simply civilians,' she thought before turning to Teth. "TETH! I order that you turn around and come with me back to Canterlot at once!" she yelled through the rain and thunder. All she got in response was a scowl from him as he began to float towards the griffons, but Celestia placed herself between him and them. "Try anything here and I promise that I will be the next immortal you face! They are civilians and families! Stand DOWN!" From the look on his face Celestia was beginning to believe that she would have to carry out that threat, but after a moment he scowled and turned away, but then he pointed at the griffons and thrust his finger back towards their kingdom. They got the idea and flew off back towards their home while Black Adam descended to the ground below.

"Care to tell me what that was all about?!" Celestia yelled through the rain, which had now drenched her coat. Despite soaking her thoroughly, the rain never seemed to touch Adam and slid off a very transparent barrier that seemed to rest just a centimeter off of him. That made Celestia wonder what other powers he had that he wasn't telling her about. "Why were you at the edge of our borders intimidating griffons?"

"Allow me to ask you a question in return," Adam thundered, the power in his voice drowning out the rain and thunder that flashed around them. "Why are you so tolerant of those creatures? They are your enemies, who have already tried to tear a city apart without any remorse for who was inside of it. They need to be wiped out before they become an even more serious threat...for your kind."

"Just because the king doesn't show any remorse for my people doesn't mean that I will show the same heartlessness to his!" Celestia snarled back. Adam had enough of the rain and fired a blast of magic into the sky, blowing apart the rain clouds until they were scattered across the sky and the sun shone down upon the two. "The king is the one who ordered the attacks, is the one who does not care. His people are innocent." When Black Adam smirked at that statement Celestia narrowed her eyes, her horn starting to glow with magic.

"Do you truly believe that they are all monsters? Then come with me and let me show you the truth," she demanded as she extended a wing to him, her horn causing a golden light to flow through her body. Adam looked from her to the extended wing for a moment before he reached out and took hold. The moment he did, his consciousness was ripped from his body and when he opened his eyes again he saw both himself and Celestia looking over their bodies, both of which had glazed over eyes.

'What did you do to us?' Adam asked the spectral Celestia besides him.

'Just as my sister can travel unseen at night, I can enter a spectral state during the day,' she explained before floating into the air, casting a shield over their bodies. 'Come, we are going to take a peak on those so-called monsters that you hate so much.' Adam raised an eyebrow as he followed her into the sky, following the spectral Celestia across the border between the griffon kingdom and her own. The pair traveled across both weird and majestic landscapes until they reached an area where chunks of the ground floated in the sky, with waterfalls cascading over the sides into the ground below.

'This is their land? It is...nice,' Adam begrudgingly muttered, not seeing Celestia smirk back at him from where she flew. 'But if their land is so nice, then why would they seek out your lands to claim as their own.'

'They live on floating islands that protect them from the creatures below,' Celestia explained as she looked towards the forest, in which Adam spied a large number of beasts that would be terrifying to a lesser being. 'But even if it offers protection, there is little room for them to grow their food. They need land where they can farm, which is where my land comes into play.' Celestia flew up to one of the floating landmasses and landed unseen in the streets, Adam landed besides her a moment later.

'So this is what they call home,' Adam muttered as he looked around. A large number of the buildings were carved into the very stone, but there were still streets and fountains that made the chunk of rock look somewhat like a normal city. Turning his gaze off into the distance, Adam took note of a massive castle with a large number of armored guards surrounding it. 'That is where that fool of a king resides. I will deal with him later.'

'Not as long as I'm around.' Adam turned to Celestia with a curious glance, wondering how she had heard his thoughts. 'In this form, both speaking and thinking will be heard by any other in the same state. But where the castle is located is not why I brought you here.' Confused, Adam followed her through the streets until the came to the largest of the floating landmasses, which held a massive city with the largest number of griffons that he had seen.

'This is what I wanted to show you.' Adam looked around at all of the griffons, but he did not see anything special that he was supposedly looking for. 'Look closer Adam. Look with your heart, not with your eyes.' After rolling said eyes, Adam began to look around without much of a care, simply watching as the griffons all ran around. A griffon child ran through his legs, something that slightly unnerved him, before being tackled by a couple of other griffons.

'I do not understand what she is asking of me,' Adam thought as silently as he could, casting a quick glance at Celestia to see if she had heard him. 'All I see are regular griffons and their children playing around, talking amongst themselves and simply...living.' He was watching a pair of children wrestle on the ground when his sight flashed, and for a brief moment he saw his own children wrestling in the streets.

'In the name of Ra was that?' he asked, Celestia slightly turning towards him with interest. He turned his gaze away from the wrestling children towards the adults, but his eyes flashed again and he saw his own people for a moment, talking and laughing amongst themselves with smiles on their faces. 'What has your accursed magic done to me?' He closed his eyes, but despite not being able to see he could still hear all the laughter and the happiness. Even his magical nature was beginning to pick up on the calm and happiness that washed over the griffons.

'Are you finally starting to understand, Teth?' Celestia asked when he opened his eyes again, allowing himself to truly take on what the images were. 'They are no different that your own people, our own family. All of them have their own lives, have family that loves them. They are simply a people that want to live happily...just like your people were.' Adam shook his head, but now he was starting to have issues distinguishing the griffons from the ponies...and his own people.

'And if you were to attack them to defend us, to wipe them out as you said you would, then you would be to them what Doomsday was to you,' Celestia said with fire in her voice, a fire that pierced through Adam's impenetrable skin. 'If you attack them, you will be the very same monster that took away everything that you loved. Can you really do that, Teth? Can you take away so many families the way yours was taken from you? Is that you? Are you Teth, the human who saved both my daughters lives? Or are you Black Adam, the god who wipes his foes off the face of the earth?'

'I...do not know anymore,' Adam panted as he looked upon the griffons, now seeing the griffons, ponies and his own people talking to each other, all of them smiling and happy. The children all played in the streets, with a feeling of peace washing over him. A part of him knew that this was caused by Celestia's magic...but another part didn't care. Then, he saw his wife, Isis, and his children, all of whom looked at him with expectant eyes.

'Who are you?' Celestia asked once again.

'I...I...' Adam began as he looked to his family, who were shaking their heads at him. But then he remembered the image of the heroes all looking at him as if he were a monster, and the disappointment that Shazam had on his face when he cast Adam into space again. And it made Adam mad. He clenched his fists and roared, blasting away all of the images until it was only the griffons and Celestia again. The griffons were all on alert and looking around, having felt the rage of his scream. 'I may not know who I am, but I know what I am. I am a champion, protector of the innocent! And these griffons...are innocent, just as the ponies are. And the dragons, who simply wish to live their lives. My power is one that they shall not fear. Only those who wish to harm the innocent, who wish to kill them for power, will face my wrath! I will prove that I am the hero they say I am not!"

'So...do you no longer live for revenge?' Celestia hesitantly asked.

'I will still avenge my family upon those who took them from me, but while I am here, I am a protector of all who need me,' Adam said with confidence and power. 'I am the hero chosen by the power of Shazam, despite what he believed of me...thank you, Celestia, for allowing me to see the griffons as more than foes. To see them as living beings. I...am once again in your debt.'

'You're...welcome,' she replied, glad that her face couldn't turn red while in this form.

'I need to get started. I have a lot of work to do.' He clasped his hands together as he said this before vanishing in a flash of lightning, canceling out Celestia's magic. She opened her eyes to find herself sitting alone on the rock where she had cast the spell, with Adam having already launched himself into the sky. But for the first time in a while, she had no fear as she watched him fly off. Instead, she was filled with hope. For Adam had given her his word that he would do his best to protect the ponies. And Adam always kept his word.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"That is odd, even for Ponyville," Black Adam muttered as he looked out of the castle window, down to the land below.

"What is? Is it another parasprite attack, because if it is Twilight, she is going to have to clean this one up herself," Celestia mumbled as she surfaced from the paperwork under which she was buried, snarling at the new tax information and looking away from the request to turn a forest into a mini-mall. Radiance joined Adam by the window and both her eyebrows went up when she looked outside.

"Ugh, it's going to be one of those days. Mom, it seems there's a sphere covering Ponyville, keeping all the ponies trapped inside!" Radiance called out to Celestia.

"Except for Twilight; I can see her on the outside of the sphere," Adam muttered as he shook his head. "Do not bother getting up, Celestia, I can deal with this problem easily."

"Alright, but I don't want you killing anypony," Celestia said in a stern tone. Adam nodded once in response before rocketing out the window, Radiance watching him go. "Radiance, please help your mother and go get me a triple sundae from the kitchen. I'm going to be here a while."

Adam flew across the sky and reached Twilight in seconds, who yelped as he slammed into the earth beside her. "Is this your doing, or has another ancient force from the past awoken and now needs me to defeat it?"

"It's Trixie," Twilight explained, getting an eyebrow lift out of Adam. "She's a unicorn who's had it out for me for a while. She has the power of an alicorn now and is doing whatever she wants to with the ponies in there! But now that you're here, maybe we can think of a way to beat her!"

"I have a way. With my fists." Adam drove both of his hands into the barrier and caused a crack to run all along it. With little effort, he pulled on the crack until the barrier was torn open in front of him, giving him an entrance. "You wait here, I will go deal with this Trixie." He began to stalk through the town, his magical senses telling him that it was indeed alicorn magic, but it felt darker and more corrupt than the magic that Celestia and Luna used.

"What in the...?" he asked when he found a number of foals were trapped under a glass jar. He shattered it with his fist, only to find that more of the town had been placed under the influence of the dark magic. While he wanted to go right after the source of this dark magic, his duty to the innocent came first, and he used his magic to undo the magic that had been done. "Well whatever this magic may be, it is, of course, inferior to my own. This will not take long."

"What are you foals doing? I specifically said 'no wheels'!" The voice was as irritating as it was new to him, meaning that this was probably the Trixie of which he had been informed. Walking out from behind some buildings, he found a pair of foals dragging around a unicorn with dark energy coming out of her eyes. The foals looked exhausted and the chariot had no wheels, doubling their work load. With a snarl, Adam walked right up to the chariot, getting a gasp out of all the ponies that were watching Trixie.

"That is enough," he growled as he put his foot on the front of the chariot, stopping it dead. A snap of his fingers was enough to break the bindings that held the two foals, and they sprinted off with a quick thanks to him, but he was far too busy glaring at the unicorn, who looked at him with both arrogance and a hint of fear.

"You are the one who has enslaved Ponyville?"

"Who else, but the great and powerful Trixie would be able to do such a task?" the annoying pony asked him as she threw her head back and laughed, but Adam barely paid her any mind as his eyes were focused on the artifact around her neck. That was the source from which her magic was coming. His hand shot out and he wrapped his fingers around it, yet when he went to yank it off, he was surprised to see Trixie come with it.

"Hey, let go of my amulet!" she yelled as she struggled to escape his grasp. Adam raised an eyebrow as he shook her a few times, attempting to take the amulet off. "Haha! Did you think the great and powerful Trixie would allow her amulet to be taken so easily? The amulet can only be taken off if I wish it to!" She vanished in a puff of smoke and appeared at the end of the road, a smirk on her face. "And with it, I have the power of the princesses! And more than enough power to deal with you!"

"So many have said," Adam muttered as Trixie began to create a massive spell at the end of her horn. Upon seeing such a spell, ponies everywhere began to run for their lives. Adam remained unmoved as Trixie fired the massive spell of darkness at Adam, who shook his head once before swatting the spell away with one hand. Trixie's eyes shrunk in her head as she and the ponies watching the battle looked at Adam with disbelief in their eyes.

"Alicorn magic? You believed that alone would be able to defeat me? Compared to my magic, alicorn magic is a child with a sparkler."

"No...stay back!" Trixie yelled as she fired spell after spell into his chest, only to find that her super magic didn't even slow him down. He drove his hand through another one of her attacks and grabbed her by the amulet, lifting her up so she could look into his eyes.

"Do you know what I hate more than those who hurt the innocent? Those who enslave them," Adam said with a snarl before he tightened his grip, a slight cracking sound escaping the amulet. "Let me show you what I do to beings like you." He clenched his fist as he said this, shattering the alicorn amulet in the process. Free of the amulet, Trixie fell to the ground, with shocked eyes looking at where her amulet had once been. Adam then tilted his hand and allowed the dust that used to be the amulet to fall to the ground in front of her.

"Please...don't hurt me," she whispered, tears rolling down her eyes as the dark eyes of Black Adam scowled down at her. He brought his fist back to end her, but before he delivered the final blow, he remembered what Celestia had asked of him. His eyes narrowed, but instead of knocking her head off, he grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up with one hand, using his other one to blast a hole in the sphere around the town, destroying it.

"This battle is over. You are all safe," he said to the awestruck citizens before he shot into the sky, preparing to take Trixie to her new home...the palace cells.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"Master, it seems that Black Adam is even more powerful than we realized," a dark-clad unicorn said to another in the dark chambers, the elder unicorn once again gazing into the mirror in front of him. "Trixie, the boastful idiot from before, returned wielding the power of the dark princesses, and Adam treated her like she was nothing. It confirms that not even the princesses would remotely be a match for him." The elder unicorn turned towards his subordinate, who lowered his head even further. "We are no match for him."

"And yet, you say this as if we have to fight him," the elder one said as he glided away from his mirror and sat down on a dark chair, looking over at all the unicorns while they began to appear out of the darkness. "My friends tell me that Luna is raising an army to combat Adam, but it has few volunteers since everypony sees Black Adam as somepony to be trusted. All we have to do, is find a way to break that trust."

"But how, Master? We cannot even get close to the castle without him knowing we are there. How can we plan an accident and make them lose faith in him?"

"That is why you are not in charge. We do not need to design an accident; all we have to do is make sure that there is an audience to see what kind of dark god he really is," the dark one said as he chuckled, but only slightly. "Because Adam will break their trust himself. They will see him at his worst, when he at his most vengeful...which shouldn't be too hard. After all, that is who he is."

Failure

The first sensation that came to her when she awoke was a sense of calm. A calm that told her she was in a place of safety, that she would not be hurt here. Yet even as that sensation passed, a wave of fear washed over her as she realized that she could not feel any part of her body. She tried to open her eyes only to realize that she had no eyes, nor any other part of her body.

'No, let me see!' As soon as the thought crossed her mind she could see, but unlike her eyes, she could see in all directions, yet all she saw was whiteness. 'I meant, let me see with my eyes! Give me back my body!' Again, the thought crossed her mind and the thought became reality. Her vision returned to what she remembered it being, and that allowed her to look at herself. Everything was silverish now, with strange markings covering her body.

'W-what happened to me?' she asked, only to realize that she had no mouth with which to do so. It was as if her very thoughts had become words. Shakily, she pushed herself to a standing position, fear starting to creep back in when she realized that she did not feel her body anymore. Her mane tumbled down to the side of her head and she saw that it too was silver. 'Why am I silver now? What am I now?' In a brief instance, she looked down at her legs, her eyes widening when she saw a quick vein of lightning flash through her arm.

'Where am I? What happened to me?' she asked no one again, panic flooding through her as she started to look around. 'Mom! Sister! Somepony?! I want to get out of here!' She roared with fear and threw her head back, unintentionally throwing out a sphere of magic that hung in the air, growing larger until it had formed a massive sphere. The silver pony looked not so much at the sphere with awe, but instead marveled at what was inside of it.

'That looks...so cool!' she yelled despite herself as she looked through the sphere. In the sphere was a number of floating cities, all of which had amazing blimps floating between them, but the blimps seemed to run on steam, instead of magic like the ones she knew did. 'Is that my world...no, it doesn't look like mine. Is this one of those other dimensions I was told about? Can I see more?' With no way to tell the time in her reality, the silver one did not know how long she took to activate another one of the spheres, but eventually she managed to create a second one.

'Ugh, that one kind of scares me,' she muttered as she looked upon a land where the undead shambled around cities that seemed to be in space. She was put off by how the undead looked like the species from which Teth came, yet she wasn't too certain if they were the same. 'Let's try another one that doesn't have to do with undead nightmares. Don't want them in my world.' she muttered, but the moment she did so the orb shot off into the silver and vanished, leaving her confused.

'Wait a moment, how am I doing all of this?' she asked herself, when it dawned on her that she should not be able to do all of these feats. 'I'm not a unicorn, so how can I cast magic? Is this even magic?' She looked around at herself to see if she could find the reason, but the answer was one that she had not expected. 'Whoa, why is there an orb in my chest? How long has that been there?' The orb was an even brighter silver in here, and she assumed it was what was giving her the powers that she now had. But as she looked around the emptiness, she began to wonder something.

'So, if I have this orb...does that mean I can use magic now?' she wondered as she looked around the room, thinking that the place could use some livening up. She thought hard about what she wanted and cast a wisp of silver that shot into the ground, creating a silver tree that shone like the stars in front of her. 'No way! This is so cool!' She began casting silver magic right and left, creating everything from couches and chairs to buildings the size of mountains.

'Ugh, what's happening?' she muttered as she cast a spell that almost recreated the city of Canterlot, looking down at her hoof to see her form flickering violently. 'Did I overdo it? I guess that would make sense, even unicorns have to rest after casting so much magic. But now I'm even more powerful than a unicorn! I might even be as strong as mo--'

She screamed as images began to flash through her mind, pain flooding through her even though she didn't know how she was feeling it. Her eyes opened and all she could see was a darkness falling over the land of the ponies, with a monstrous demon-like dragon creature with black wings and green eyes consuming everything in sight. If she had tears, she would have cried at all the destruction and death, but just when everything was about to be consumed by darkness, six lights shown with power that pushed the darkness back.

'The abandoned god that must learn the ultimate magic. Two who have been cast out who must learn to smile. The second coming of the knight who must face the truth. The misfit deemed a hero who must learn to care. The knight in rusted armor who must learn to be true. The human freed who must learn to let go of the past.' The silver mare had no idea what these words meant, but as she looked up at the dark characters who wielded the lights, they used their combined powers to push back against the darkness. An alicorn, a monstrous form, and a being with a cape and amazing powers battled against them, along with four other creatures, yet with the power of the six they were able to overcome the four, yet the real battle began then. The six and the darkness began to fight before the vision vanished, leaving the mare confused.

'What does all of this mean?' she asked the voice as the images vanished from her mind, looking around to see if she could find the source of the voice.

'Find the six champions. Help them re-forge what was lost. They are the only hope to save the worlds.' The silver mare looked around for a moment before she began to become afraid again. A few moments ago she wasn't even sure if she existed, yet here she was being told that she needed to gather...champions to save her world and maybe the others.

'But how do I do this?' she asked the voice, getting no verbal answer. Instead, a stream of silver left her and created a path to a sphere behind her, where she could see a small house overlooking the ocean, where an old lady with a number of odd needles and vials sat. 'That is where I need to go to start? Is that where I'll find answers about what happened to me?' There was no answer, so she inhaled (and then realized that she no longer needed to breathe) she walked into the sphere, her world going silver as the voice said one last time:

'And remember, a champion can be anyone. Even if it seems they cannot.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Black Adam groaned once before he slowly sat up, rubbing his head as he tried to remember what happened to him to place him in such a state. A quick glance of the room he now occupied told him that he was once again in the Canterlonian hospital, yet why he was here eluded him.

"Teth!" From the magical energy he sensed along with the white wings that now covered him, Adam assumed that it was Celestia who had brought him here. Now it was time to find out what had put him here. "Thank Faust, you're alright. I didn't now what to think when you suddenly collapsed in the middle of the meeting with the griffon ambassadors, so I called off the meeting and brought you here."

"Yeah, why did you collapse anyway?" Radiance asked as Adam turned his head to find her sitting on the other side of his bed. Adam gently pushed Celestia off of him as he closed his eyes, trying to think of what had happened. "I mean, you should have seen the smiles on the griffons' faces when you fell over. I bet now they think that you have a weakness or something."

"I'm just glad you're safe," Celestia whispered. Adam silenced them both by raising his hand before he began to think back to that moment. And then the images all came rushing back to him. There was darkness, more darkness than he ever believed he would see, yet in the darkness he could barely make out six warriors that seemed to oppose it. But what caught his attention in the images, was the alicorn and the warrior who strongly resembled him in a cape standing besides it.

'Can that be myself and Celestia?' he asked with confusion. The images continued to reveal that the warriors waged battle with the alicorn and what he believed to be himself, along with five other creatures that fought beside him. Despite fighting the hardest they could, the alicorn and its allies fell, before everything was swallowed in darkness. He snapped his eyes open and broke free of the image, breathing heavily as he tried to make sense of what he had just seen.

"A darkness is coming to this land," he muttered to Celestia when she asked what was wrong. "A darkness unlike anything that I have ever seen. And there are six...beings that each wield a silver light that I believe will oppose us, for I saw an alicorn and a being resembling myself that battled against them." He went quiet for a moment, giving Celestia and Radiance a moment to share a worried glance.

"And what happens next?" Radiance dared to ask.

"We lose," he scowled, throwing himself out of the bed. "But if this is a vision, it is one of the future. Meaning that there might still be time to change it! I will scour the land to see if I can find anything that might resemble these warriors and the threat they might mean to us." He cast himself into the air to fly away from the castle, but Celestia held him back with her magic.

"Teth, I am not sure what you saw, but are you certain that these images mean the end of us?" Celestia asked, worry gripping her heart when Adam nodded with a somber expression. "Well, is there anything else you can tell us about the images at least? So we have something to look for?"

"Yes. Each of our foes wears an item of silver light." He shot off after saying this, leaving the two ponies to look at each other, both wondering what would happen now. Adam came to a stop in the sky, where he could see almost all of Equestria below him. 'Yes, from here I will be able to sense for any odd magic,' he thought to himself as he prepared to enter a meditative state, but a column of flame slammed into him from behind and cast him into the forest below.

"I know not what you are," Adam snarled as he pulled himself out of the dirt and turned to face the creature that took him aback. "What sort of undead nightmare are you, dragon?" The dragon had bone wings and its ribs were clearly visible, yet a strange dark energy radiated from it. Adam narrowed his eyes as he threw himself at the creature, which howled with a voice that chilled his soul. The pair collided in the sky and their battle began.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"...And I want increased guards around the perimeter of the castle," Celestia instructed Shining Armor, who saluted with a nod before he ran off to go gather his troops. Celestia shook her head slightly as she removed herself from the throne and walked down the practically empty hallways to her sister's room, sadness starting to creep in. 'Luna has been gone for days now and it seems that every day I allow Teth to protect us is a day that her anger grows. Sister, I wish you could see the good in him like I do.'

"Need something, Mom?" Radiance answered when Celestia had knocked upon her door. Celestia motioned for her daughter to follow her, which Radiance did so without asking any questions. "Something up? You seem...off."

"I am just worrying about my sister," Celestia said with a sad sigh. "She was always the more reckless of the two of us and with the way things are now...I'm just afraid that she might do something soon that she regrets." Radiance bit her tongue a bit, the thought of Luna's secret army crossed her mind and how she had promised to keep it a secret.

'But she's my mother. She needs to know,' Radiance thought as she looked up at Celestia. "Mom, there's something that you need to know about Luna--" Both she and Celestia shivered as they both felt a magic that they never felt before, causing the pair to look at each other before racing to the nearest window.

"Did you feel that?" Radiance asked. "I've never felt a magic like that before." Celestia opened her mouth to answer when she heard the faint sound of ponies crying out for help, the sound coming from the center of the city. She turned to tell her daughter to stay there, but Radiance had already leapt onto her mother's back. "Let's go! Those ponies need help!"

"Alright, but be careful," Celestia cautioned as she spread her wings and took the two into the skies, where they were able to see the destruction first hoof. Ponies lay motionless in the streets, sickening the pair. But both of them opened their eyes in shock when they saw the creatures that they were up against. They wore completely black armor, yet the lines across where they eyes would be glowed with a blue light. Their spines also glowed blue and they held weapons that pointed three thin lights wherever they aimed them.

"Those look like humans," Radiance muttered as Celestia descended, creating a barrier around both of them, for she expected the worst.

"Halt creatures!" she said in her regal voice, getting the three armored humans to turn around to face the pair. "I am princess Celestia and I--"

"It's another one! Aim for the limbs!" the closest one to them yelled before it began to fire something at Celestia, who was shocked as the force of whatever was being shot at her pushed her back, despite the barrier. The other two began to fire upon her as well, and she could see cracks starting to form on her barrier. "Keep pushing them back! Don't let them--" The human screamed as Radiance fired a bolt of magic into its chest, sending it to the streets.

"Shit! The marker must have given them more powers! Guh!" one of them yelled as it put its hands to its head, screaming something about the markers.

"We have to stop them here, Mom, or Faust knows how many ponies they might hurt!" Radiance yelled out as she began firing at the two humans still standing. To both ponies' surprise, the humans pointed their arms at tables and wagons and whipped them in front of the ponies' spell. "They can use levitation spells?"

"That is not magic!" Celestia said as she blasted the shielding apart with her magic, causing the two humans to grab their friend as they hid behind some cover. In the brief instance they were moving, Celestia noticed that the glowing spine on the one that had been shot had gone from blue to yellow. 'That must be how they know when they are wounded. Does that mean that when they cease to glow they--?' She had been so focused on the creatures that she barely saw when one of them fired an odd item towards her, which exploded with an intense force when it landed at her hooves. Her barrier managed to absorb most of the force, but she was still flung from her hooves and hit the ground hard, stunning her.

"Kill the undead fuck!" one of the humans yelled out while the other put down suppressing fire on Radiance, whose barrier barely held against the gunfire. Two of the humans ran over to Celestia and opened fire upon her as she threw up another barrier to protect herself, yet she was a second too slow and a shot caught her in the leg. She howled with pain as the shot tore through her, causing her barrier to falter.

"NO!" Radiance yelled as she threw herself into one of the humans, pinning it to the ground as she unleashed her magic into its helmet. The other two tried to save their comrade, until Celestia picked one of them up with magic and threw him into the other. She then turned to help her daughter when all of sudden everything slowed down for her, like her body was molasses. At the speed she was going, she couldn't even pick herself off the ground, all she could do was watch as the humans aimed their guns at her while she was still struggling to start moving. Fear flashed in her eyes as six laser sights lined up on her.

Then, the next thing she saw was a shadow throw itself over her as the weapons fired upon her, hitting Celestia's protector and punching through her quickly erected barrier. Celestia returned to normal speed just in time to see her daughter collapse to the ground in front of her, blood seeping from her wounds.

"Radiance!" she cried out as she raced to her daughter's side, rolling her over with magic to see if she was alright. But all it took was a glance to tell Celestia that it was too late. Radiance's eyes were dull and her chest remained motionless as no air entered it. And in that moment, Celestia's eyes turned as dull as the lifeless body in her hooves and she felt her heart die away, her very soul laying dead in her hooves.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

With a backhand that could destroy mountains, Black Adam slapped the undead dragon into the ground, snarling when he saw it begin to repair itself just like before. He raised his hands over his head while summoning a torrent of lightning when a chill rushed over him, a chill that told him something was very, very wrong.

"That came from...Canterlot," he growled to himself as he fired a bolt of lightning into the dragon again, sending it crashing back into the dirt. With a burst of speed he shot off towards Canterlot, horrified by all the negative magic and emotions he was feeling. He came to a stop above the center of the city with horror, as he saw all the slain lying in the streets. Yet none of that mattered to him when he looked down to see Celestia resting over a body, a body of a pony he knew well.

"No..." he whispered once before hurling himself towards the ground in front of three armored humans, exploding the area before them with the force of his impact.

"What the hell is that? Is that...a human?" he heard one of them say. Black Adam looked over at where Celestia lay before looking down at Radiance's body with horror and sorrow in his eyes. Then he turned his gaze back upon the humans, and when they looked into his eyes they knew what true fear was. "Shoot I--" The first human's head was gone before he could finish his sentence and the second one was made powder by the force of Adam's second punch.

"Holy shit! Holy-" Adam's hand shot out and wrapped around the armored human's throat, lifting him into the air with one hand as thunder that would terrify the gods flashed in his eyes. Adam then let his power course into the human, who screamed for only a moment before he went silent. His body went limp and blood began to seep from the helmet until he was blasted into ash by Adam's power. The ashes had barely begun to fall before Adam was at Celestia's side.

"No..." Adam whispered as he looked down at the unmoving body of Radiance. He snarled and looked away, tears forming in is eyes as he avoided his gaze, realizing that once again he had failed...failed to protect another whom he had come to care about. He turned his gaze to Celestia, who just now seemed to realize that Adam was besides her.

"Why, Teth?" she asked in a voice that was far more broken than the streets where Adam had landed, or what was left of the bodies that lay in said streets. "Why couldn't I keep them safe?"

Adam had no answers as Celestia broke down and began to weep, the ponies who had fled from the battle starting to return to the area. They looked at Radiance as well and began to cry themselves, all crying except for Adam, who was far more devastated than he let on.

'Again. Again and again this happens. I fail to protect those closest to me, those I swore to protect!' he roared in the confines of his mind, tightening his hands with enough force to shatter the planet. 'Why? Why do I always fail?! Why can I not protect them like I should?!' He opened his eyes and looked down at Radiance, reaching out with his hand to close her eyes. 'Farewell child. I am so sorry.' His sorrow gave way to hate and he turned his head towards the decapitated body, grabbing it and preparing to destroy it completely, when his eyes caught the faintest of magic on it.

'Silver magic.' The rage was extinguished the moment he saw the strands of silver magic upon the corpse, and it gave way to an emotion that had driven him to cause the deaths of over two millions souls: Absolute wrath. 'The one who uses this silver magic tried to kill them while I was battling that creature! It planned for us to be apart when it attacked. Yet instead of claiming Celestia...!' He dragged the corpse back over to Celestia, who still hadn't moved, so that he could show her the magic, but his attention was grabbed by the shadow that was cast over them.

"You again!" Adam roared to the sky when his gaze rested upon the undead dragon creature, which was unleashing torrents of black fire upon the land. He dropped the body as he looked to Celestia, who was still grieving over Radiance's death. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, before with a yell that would cower the king of the underworld, he threw himself at the undead beast, driving himself into it with enough force until it was blasted apart. The dark energy that created it reconstructed it, but the moment it was repaired Black Adam unleashed his whole fury into the creature. The sky was split apart by the lightning and the earth shook as if it were being torn in half, yet the agony the dragon suffered was nothing compared to what Adam felt.

"SHAZAM!"

When he finally ceased the assault, there was nothing left of the creature or his rage. With defeated eyes, he floated down next to Celestia, who rested her head on his shoulder as she began to weep, along with all of the other ponies in Canterlot. And all Adam could do was look down at the body of the young unicorn, hating himself for failing again.

Mercy

Luna hesitated by the door to her sister's room, her hoof hanging in the air as she wondered if she should bother her or not. 'A week may have passed since the...incident, but if I know my sister she'll stay strong. I need to talk to her,' Luna thought with a sigh, gathering her courage. She pushed against the door which slowly creaked open at her touch, allowing her to see the state her sister was in.

"Celestia?" Luna asked with a hint of hesitation as she looked around the room, which Celestia normally kept bright and sunny. Instead, the curtains were drawn shut and the sun barely created any light at all, leaving the room covered in darkness. The trays of uneaten food at the side of her sister's bed told Luna that Celestia was doing far worse than when Sunny had passed away. Celestia was hidden under the covers of her bed and didn't budge or acknowledge her sister at all when Luna sat beside her.

"Celestia? May we talk?" Luna asked, not surprised when Celestia failed to answer her. "I am so sorry, Celestia. I hope you know that. If I had been here...you have to know that what happened wasn't your fault. Our scientists are analyzing the suit and weaponry used by the humans, and they are far beyond anything we could think to create. You could not have known what they would have done." Silence was all Luna got in response, so with a small sigh she continued talking.

"I worry for you, Sister. Ever since Golden Mane, you have been less sure of yourself and question the choices that you sometimes make." Luna saw the slightest of stirs at the name, but nothing other than that. "Your nation grieves for your loss just as I do, but your nation will also need you soon. With the tension between the griffons and the dragons, Equestria will look to their leader. Please, stay strong." With no answer again, Luna steeled herself as she prepared the question she had been hesitant to ask.

"Sister...where is Black Adam? Nopony has seen him since the incident and there are...rumors floating about." Much to the surprise of Luna, Celestia slowly lifted her head and looked over at Luna, her eyes still a bloodshot red with none of their usual light in them.

"How should I know?" she replied in a hoarse voice, one that had not seen use in a week. "I do not watch him 'twenty-four seven'. I thought that's what you did." Luna could feel the hate in her voice but knew that she was not the one at whom Celestia was angry. But Luna did not like the idea that none of them knew where Adam was. That could only lead to trouble. "Leave me be, Sister, before you get killed while I am powerless to help." She lay back down after saying this, covering her head with her pillow.

"I will not die on you, Sister; I care about you far too much," Luna comforted, but the words fell on deaf ears.

"So did all the others who died because I couldn't save them." The bitterness in the voice caught Luna slightly off guard and she could see Celestia shaking slightly in her bed, which Luna assumed was Celestia trying to hide her tears. "Father, Mother, Golden Mane...and now my daughters. I am so weak."

"That is a lie, Sister," Luna tried to comfort, but the moment the words left her mouth the fury beneath the pain erupted.

"A LIE?! I failed to help mother and father when they battled with that alien! I failed Golden Mane when he battled with Sombra to save the Crystal Empire! And now I have failed to save both of my daughters when they needed me most!" she roared with a fury like nothing Luna had ever seen, her mane setting the bed ablaze and forcing Luna to leap off of it to avoid being roasted. But the wrath quickly gave way to sorrow and Celestia lay down once again, sobbing into her pillow.

"I am cursed," she whispered to herself. "Cursed to watch all those that I love die in front of me. Why do I bother trying to start a family again and again, when I know that it will only end in pain?" Luna knew the question was rhetorical and she knew better than to answer. But she still needed to talk to her sister about the state of the nation.

"Sister, the ponies will still need your guidance in these tough times," Luna said, Celestia's sobs stopping for a moment. "They need you to lead them." Celestia moved her head so she could look at Luna with eyes that had given up.

"You rule them now...by yourself," she whispered before turning back to her pillow. "How can I protect them when I cannot protect the ones I love? You will be a far better ruler then me. Now leave me be, let me be alone in my suffering." Luna wanted to say something to comfort her, but she knew that Celestia would not listen. Instead Luna turned and left the room, coming face to face with the advisor Willow, who had been waiting outside.

"Ah, Princess Luna...how is Princess Celestia?" he asked with concern in his voice, but there was an urgency in it that was not lost on Luna. Willow looked shocked when Luna pointed this out before he began to stammer. "I-It's something very important the must be shared with her. Can you...take the message to her?"

"No. She is in no shape to be bothered," Luna said with her regal tone, the advisor bowing under her gaze. "Whatever it is, you may tell me. I am now...the ruler of Equestria, at least until Celestia is willing to take up the crown again." Willow looked stunned at the news, but then he bowed his head and looked into Luna's eyes. "Shadow Heart has returned in Stalliongrad." Luna's eyes widened in shock before she shot past Willow, who raced after her as best he could.

"Princess Luna! Given what happened with Shadow Heart over a thousand years ago, shouldn't you call Black Adam to aid you?" Luna came to a dead stop and turned towards the advisor with very cold eyes.

"No. The Elements of Harmony will go with me to defeat him, just as they did all those years ago," she said in a cold voice, making Willow fall to his knees in fear. "Black Adam will not be necessary. And if he comes back while we are still away, do not tell him where we are. Am I clear?" All Willow could do was nod as Luna shot off, not rising up off his knees until he knew she was gone.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I'm sorry that I did not give you adequate time to prepare for this," Luna apologized to the six ponies who sat on the Royal Express with her. Luna had gathered the Elements of Harmony as quickly as possible, despite their plans for the day, and had commissioned the Royal Express used by the princesses to take them as fast as it could to Stalliongrad. "But if Shadow Heart is back, then we must act now."

"If you don't mind me asking, Princess, who is Shadow Heart?" Twilight asked as she flipped through five books at once, all of them on ancient creatures and enemies of Equestria. "I can't find any information on him in any of my books."

"That is because most consider him to be a myth, and those who were there the day he attacked a thousand years ago did not remember what had happened," Luna explained while Twilight began to jot down notes, the other Elements paying close attention as Luna explained. "Shadow Heart was a would-be king, similar to Sombra, but he actually had the ponies best interests at heart. However, one day his nation was attacked by a sludge-like creature which could control minds, allowing it to take control of his nation. He battled as best he could, but it was far too strong for him. Even my sister and myself were unable to defeat it, even with the Elements."

"Eventually he found a way to defeat it, but that was by sealing the creature within his own body. The two souls within the body clashed for dominance and the sludge creature won the day," Luna said with a sad shake of his head. "However, it had been weakened by being forced into his body, and with Black Heart's own conscious holding the creature back, my sister and I managed to imprison the two of them within a sacred grove. We tried to separate the pair, yet we could not release Black Heart without freeing the monster as well."

"But now he's broken free," Dash muttered.

"Yes, but this time we might be able to defeat the creature for good and free Black Heart in the process," Luna said with a thin smile. "See, my sister and I could not banish evil from a being when we had the Elements. But the six of you can. I hope that with the combined power of the Elements you can free Black Heart from the sludge and then seal the sludge away for good."

"How many ancient evils did you princesses seal away?" Applejack asked, Luna hanging her head in response.

"More than I wish to admit," Luna responded with a shake of her head. "We will be there soon, so I wish to tell you what Black Heart will be capable of. His magic gives him the ability to control those who are weaker magically that he is. You six should be protected by your Elements, while I am a princess, so I should be safe. He can also change his shape and fire sludge bombs that are toxic to whatever they touch. Black Heart was also one of the best fighters in Equestria at the time, so there's that." The mane six looked at each other nervously as she said this before Twilight asked a question.

"Um, if this foe is as strong as you say he is, then why isn't Black Adam here?" All eyes in the train car turned to her with cold stares, and she hid behind her books with a whimper.

"Because we are trying to save Black Heart, not have him blasted into ash by a tyrant who thinks himself a god," Luna said with a scowl.

"Plus, do you think that he would care at all who gets caught in the crossfire, or that innocents might be put in danger?" Dash added with a look of rage. Luna looked at her with shock before Fluttershy spoke up.

"There wouldn't be an animal or piece of foliage left alive after he was done," she said with a rage so calm that Luna scooted herself away from the little Pegasus.

"He's scum."

"He's evil."

Luna looked at the Elements of Harmony with surprise in her eyes as everyone of the except for Twilight each seemed to harbor a grudge against the anti-god. 'But I wonder, if I could get Twilight to see the true nature of Black Adam, then maybe I can get the Elements of Harmony to use their powers upon him...thus exposing him as the villain he truly is.' The train came to screeching halt and all eyes looked out the window, to see Stalliongrad covered in darkness with fires raging all along it.

"Sorry, Princess, but this is as close as I can get!" the conductor yelled from the front of the train. The seven all gave each other a nod before leaping off the train and rushing towards the city, not even making it within the city limits before being attacked by an army of mind-controlled ponies, all of whom were covered in a black sludge.

"Keep them away from me!" Rarity yelled as all of them went after her at once, reaching for her with contaminated hooves and mouths. She screeched and ran away from them as fast as she could, leaving them open to be sprayed down by Twilight and Luna's magic, washing the sludge off.

"Magical water will work the best against the sludge, but regular water can work too!" Luna cried out as she looked to Rainbow and Fluttershy. "Grab as many rain clouds as you can and douse the city! The rest of you will come with me to help any that have not already been claimed!" Working together as a group, the six did as they were instructed. Dash and Shy took off to find the clouds while the others kept those controlled in the streets at bay.

"YEEHAW!" A lasso twirled through the air and wrangled ten of the infected. With one good yank AJ pulled all ten of the infected into the range of Twilight and Luna, who doused them all with one well-aimed shot. "Take that, Dash, ah'd like to see ya get that--" A rainbow blur shot past her and a stack of at least twenty infected lay in front of Twilight and Luna, with Dash smirking at AJ. AJ pulled her hat close with a glare before she went back to lassoing the other infected. Dash flew back up to help. She moved the clouds into position and soon the infected were all covered in a rain that slowly washed off the sludge.

"Good work Elements, soon we will draw the attention of Black Heart!" Luna called out as she and Twilight cleaned off those Dash had gotten, the freed ponies promptly running for the exit of their city as soon as they could.

"I can't believe that Black Heart did all of this!" Rarity called out with disgust as Pinkie stuffed a number of the ponies into the cannon and fired them over to the group, Twilight creating a shield to catch them while Luna used the magical liquid to free them.

"Remember, it is the monster inside of Black Heart that is making him do this! He is not responsible for his own actions!" The group kept up the work until they had freed well over a hundred of the ponies, but Luna noticed that the group was beginning to tire from the labor.

"Hey, Princess? Not that I'm tired or anything, but for the sake of the others how much longer do we have to keep this up? Were not really making a dent!" Rainbow asked as she kicked one of the infected that had tried to grab her. Luna opened her mouth to answer when she looked up and saw a flying island of sludge, spotting a black pony with a crimson mane flying towards them.

"Not much longer. Once we defeat him, the rest of the ponies will be free. Stand with me now Elements and together we will defeat this foe!" Luna called out, with all six of the Elements taking their places behind her. The pony upon the cloud leapt off and slammed into the streets, splattering himself all over the buildings and the ponies.

"Oh...Faust..." Rarity squeaked out as she looked down at the goo on her before she passed out, but all of the other ponies' eyes were upon the stallion, who was already beginning to reforge as the slime drew itself back into his body.

"Luna. Has it been a thousand years already?" the stallion asked with a revolting voice that made the ponies gag to listen to it. "Thou hast not aged beyond a sun rise."

"Enough with the pleasantries, Monster, you know why I am here!" Luna roared as she charged up her magic, her eyes going white as the power coursed through her. "You have claimed the soul of a good stallion for far too long, but today is the day we get him back! Girls! Elements!" The mane six took up their positions to begin the storm of harmony, but Black Heart smirked and let out a roar, causing the sludge that had sprayed the ponies to yank them all apart and throw them across the streets.

"Was that the best strategy that you could conceive? Unleash the Elements and seal me away once again?" Black Heart asked as he began to fire purplish blobs of magic from his horn, forcing Luna to throw up a barrier to protect herself from the assault. To her shock and horror, she found that the blobs began to eat away through her shielding, forcing her to throw herself to the side as more of the magic blasted right through her protection.

"Doest thou truly think so little of me that this was your grand scheme to defeat me?" The slime upon the Elements began to eat away at them, causing all six of them to cry out with pain. Twilight was the first to splash herself with the magical water, causing Black Heart to raise an eyebrow as he watched her do the same to the other ponies, freeing them from his influence. "Perhaps I have misjudged you. It seems that thou hast gained a few new tricks since we last fought. But where is your far fairer sister? Will Celestia not be blessing us with her presence?"

"We are all that is needed to bring you down," Luna snarled as she and Twilight began to fire bursts of magic at Black Heart, who erected walls of sludge to protect himself from the assault. Dash grabbed Pinkie and flew her behind the sludge barrier, dropping Pinkie right behind the stallion so that she could unleash her party cannon upon him.

"You believe that your paltry cannon can harm me, you damned fool?" Black Heart asked.

"You shouldn't use bad words! Time to wash your mouth out!" Pinkie yelled as she fired the cannon, sending hundreds of bars of soap into Black Heart. Pinkie cheered into the sky as the soap bars began to eat away at Black Heart, who snarled as he turned to the pink pony with rage in his eyes. With a snort he charged at Pinkie, who hopped in place with a smile on her face. Right before he tackled her, Black Heart found himself looking into the eyes of Fluttershy.

"Gah! What sorcery be this?!" Black Heart yelled as he staggered back, trying to clear the image of those eyes from his mind. Since his eyes were closed, he never saw the rope that wrapped itself around his neck and pulled him to the ground. He struggled against it, but a pony far stronger than he was pulling on the other end.

"Sorry varmint, but yer not going anywhere," Applejack said with a smirk as she tightened the rope. Black Heart yelled with rage as he used his powers to burn through the rope and sprung back to his hooves, but none of the arrogance was in his eyes any more as he looked upon the seven with shock.

"What be this? How could such strong ponies have arisen in only a thousand years? Ponies were nothing like this back when we first came into being." Luna laughed at Black Heart as the mane six took up positions behind her, the magic of harmony beginning to connect the six of them with its power.

"This is the power of compassion, Black Heart, but you already knew of that power," Luna said as she held out a hoof. "And I know that you can find it again, but you have to fight! Do not let that sludge monster win!" A smile crossed Luna's face when she saw one of the purple eyes flicker for a moment, revealing the green eyes of the pony she knew all those years ago. "Twilight! Now is the time to use the Elements! We can--"

Her words died with her heart as a massive bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a rumbling thunder that could only signal the arrival of one being. Luna never even had time to cry out before Black Adam descended from the sky, blasting all away from him when he impacted the street. His eyes looked left and right to see the ponies covered in sludge before they looked forward to the black stallion with the now completely purple eyes.

"So, you are the one causing all this pain," Adam snarled as Black Heart backed away from him with surprise in his eyes. Faster than a bolt of lightning, Adam grabbed the stallion by the throat, watching with a hint of interest as the magic sludge tried to burn through his hand, but Adam never registered the sludge that had burned the Elements. "I will punish you for what you have done!" Adam threw Black Heart into the side of a building and began to stalk towards him as the stallion struggled to pull himself out of the wall, blood running down his face as the purple eyes looked at Black Adam with fear.

"Adam! No!" Luna yelled as she threw herself in front of him, Adam looking down at her with surprise on his face before that surprise turned to rage.

"Away with you, fool! I am trying to stop this evil!" he roared at her as he tried to get past, but Luna leapt in front of him again.

"We do not want to kill him, we are trying to free him!" Luna yelled, but Adam shook his head with a scowl before he picked Luna up and threw her far off into the distance. He turned back to the still stuck Black Heart, before both Dash and Twilight tackled his arms.

"I'm not going to let you endanger any more lives!" Dash yelled as she pulled on him with all of her might.

"Teth! Please stop!" Black Adam threw his arms to the side and cast the two ponies off of him before he shot towards Black Heart, grabbing him by the throat and pulling him out of the wall.

"You are coming with me," he snarled before he shot up into the sky, coming to a stop far above the town. "Now then, what say you creature...wait a moment, I am sensing another mind beneath this one. Reveal yourself!" He grabbed Black Heart's head with his free hand and coursed electricity through it, causing the stallion to scream until Adam noticed the purple eyes retract and twin green eyes appear.

"Please...stop this..." he begged, Adam looking at him with shock. Adam's first thought was that this was just a trick and that he should kill the pony now, but then the image of Radiance flashed across his mind, and he found that he could not bring himself to deliver the final blow without knowing more.

"What has become of you?" Adam asked. "How do I free you from this curse that afflicts you?"

"You...can't..." the pony gasped as one of his eyes began to turn purple again. "Please...I cannot...hold it back much longer! I...don't wish to hurt...any more ponies. Please...kill me...don't let it...make me..." Adam closed his eyes as the pony's eyes turned purple again, with only a hint of green left. He knew not what this affliction was nor how to cure it, but he knew what had to be done so others would be safe.

"I know not if you can hear me, but know that you die a hero," Adam said before his eyes flashed with power. "And whatever you are afflicting him, you die in pain!" The stallion howled as power coursed through him, Adam closing his eyes until the stallion stopped moving. When he opened his eyes again, he found that the sludge had been burned off and the eyes now held no life in them. Looking around at the ponies of the city, he could see that the sludge was washing off of them in the drizzle and they would soon be free. Adam shook his head once before he floated down to the ground, where he laid the body on the ground while the ponies looked at him with absolute horror.

"You...killed him!" Fluttershy roared. "You killed him, you monster!"

"Why, Teth? We could have saved him!" Twilight yelled at him. The other Elements began to shout at him, but all were silenced by the glare he gave them.

"The one you wished to save was far too gone! I did this to protect you all!" he snarled before sighing and holding a hand to his face. "It matters not. Think of me what you will, but I put down those who seek to harm others. He attacked the ponies of the city and I saved you. That is what happened."

"Don't try to make it sound like you are a hero! You murdered him!" Fluttershy yelled at him with tears in her eyes. Adam shook his head at her and turned to take off. Fluttershy added, "He was under the control of a monster! He couldn't speak for himself or tell you otherwise! You murdered him!"

"That is where you are wrong. What I did was a mercy."

The girls all looked at him with horror and loathing as he took off, their eyes resting on the charred corpse of Black Heart. None of them heard Luna land, but when she saw what had happened, her eyes narrowed with a cold confirmation of the truth.

"Do you see now?" she asked them, all six of the ponies turning to look at her. "This is what Adam does to whoever crosses him. He does not care who they are. He killed Discord, whom Celestia believed could be turned. He killed Chyrsalis, whom I found out was a mother to a whole colony. And now he's killed Black Heart, who still had a chance to be saved. He is not the hero you believed he was. He is...worse than a criminal. He is a monster. A monster that must be stopped.

Twilight looked down at the body one more time before looking at Luna with tears in her eyes. "What are you saying, Luna?"

"I'm asking you to help me, help me show the world the true monster that he is," Luna said. "The Elements will only work on a foe that is evil and despite us knowing the truth, the ponies of the world do not. That is why I want you to use the Elements on him in public, in the center of Canterlot...to show them the truth. Will you help me?"

"I'm in," Shy said without hesitation.

"Me too," Dash growled.

"Me three!"

"Of course I'll help to bring down this abomination."

"Ah'm in." All of the ponies then looked to Twilight, who was staring at her hooves with no idea what to do.

"Twilight, please. We can't stop him without you." Twilight shook her head as she thought back to when Radiance and she would play a prank on Teth, and how nice he was back then...how he had protected Radiance and Sunnysmiles. But then she thought of all the death, all those who had been killed by Black Adam. All the pain that he had caused.

"I could never help you hurt Teth," she said to her stunned friends, before looking up at them with fire. "But I will help you bring him down. Because you forgot one more accusation to add to the list, Princess."

"And what is that?" Luna asked.

"You forgot that Teth was murdered by Black Adam."

Fall of Harmony

Luna stalked towards her sister's room with a fire in her eyes that forced all of the guards to turn their gaze to the floor as she walked by them. She had arrived back at Canterlot before the Elements, and hopefully before Adam, so she could talk to her sister in private, but to her annoyance she found Black Adam resting against the wall in the corridor in front of her.

"What do you want?" Luna spat at Adam. "Have you come to tell Celestia your twisted version of what happened? Or have you come to silence me before I can tell her the truth?"

"Do not tempt me, worm. You still act as though I am the villain, yet we both know there is true evil that rests within you," Adam shot back, thunder rumbling across the sky while the two glared at each other. "Black Heart begged me for death so that he would no longer harm any of his citizens. He died a true hero."

"He did not need to DIE!" Luna roared with a rage that only gained a look from Adam. "He could have been saved! The Elements would have been able to free him from the demon's power!"

"Just as they did when you and your sister tried over a thousand years ago?" Adam asked with a smirk, which turned into a true smile when Luna looked at him with shock. "In the ten years I was powerless, I read up on my history. The Elements failed before, and with so many innocent being harmed, I could not take the risk that they would again."

"But now we'll never know, murderer," Luna scowled. "But that's what you do best. Kill anything that might be a threat, without so much as a second thought for their families or if they can be saved. And you speak of my past, Adam, but I know about yours. I might have tried to cast the land into eternal night, but at least I do not have the blood of millions of innocents on my hands!" Adam narrowed his eyes at her before he stalked towards her, Luna holding her ground as Adam looked down at her.

"Do you assume that I do not know of your activities? How you are creating an army to defeat me?" he asked her in a deadly whisper. It took all of Luna's willpower not to look shocked at his words. "I know that you have created a force that you believe will be able to bring me down, but it will fail. I will say this to you now Luna, when the day comes when your actions result in the deaths of innocents, I will personally send you back to the moon myself."

"And will you do the same to yourself when you slaughter the innocent?" Both glared into each other's eyes for a long minute, Adam's hands crackling while Luna's horn began to glow, but before the two unleashed their fury upon each other the door to Celestia's chambers opened, and they heard a ragged voice say,

"Enter."

Both of them shared one last glare before they entered the room, Luna respectfully bowing to her sister while Adam continued to float above the Princess of the Night. Celestia was resting in the darkness on a pillow and looked more composed than the last time they saw her, but when she looked at the two adversaries, they could see that she still hadn't recovered from what had happened to Radiance. "I have heard many reports about what has happened in Stalliongrad, but I wanted to hear it from the both of you. Who wishes to speak first?"

Adam bowed to Luna in such a sarcastic way it made her growl at him, but she didn't pass on the chance to speak first. "When I discovered that Black Heart was back, I took the Elements of Harmony to Stalliongrad, hoping to use their power to free Black Heart of the sludge monster that consumed him. Despite running into a little trouble, we were able to mostly subdue him. But before we could try the Elements on him, HE showed up," Luna snarled at Adam, who said nothing in reply.

"And then he did what Black Adam always does: He flies in, doesn't listen to the ponies who know better and murdered Black Heart before we could react," Luna said with a venom. Celestia turned her eyes to Adam before looking at her sister again, motioning for her to continue. "Then, I came back here to tell you of the news and this murderer threatens to throw me to the moon. That is my report." Celestia nodded her head before looking back to Adam.

"And what do you have to say?"

"She is right, for the most part," he admitted without any hesitation, crossing his arms as he did so. "Yes, when I sensed a dark magic attacking one of the cities, I flew in and dealt with the problem. That is what a protector does. What Luna failed to mention was that Black Heart did manage to break free of the monster for a few moments. And in those moments he begged for me to kill him, so that he wouldn't have to hurt anypony else. I did what he asked. I did not murder him. I took mercy on him."

"But if you had the Elements-"

"The Elements failed before, who was to say that they wouldn't fail now?" Adam cut her off, gaining a growl from Luna. "There were innocents in danger, and I could not take the risk to see if they would succeed this time. I destroyed the monster and the ponies were saved. I do not like the fact that I had to kill a pony as brave as Black Heart, but I did it to ensure that there would be only one death that day." The two began to bicker again until Celestia held up a hoof, silencing the both of them.

"Were any of my ponies hurt during the attack?" she asked.

"No, Sister, they are all fine. Except for-"

"Then this discussion is over," Celestia said in a tired voice as she lay back down. "Teth, thank you for protecting the ponies. And I am sorry that Black Heart asked you to do such a task. It could not have been easy." Adam nodded while Luna looked at her sister with a dumbfounded expression, not believing what she had just heard.

"And that is it? You are simply going to let him walk away with another murder without any consequences at all?!" she roared. "He killed Black Heart even though we had a chance to save him! We could have-!"

"The Elements failed to save him before, who is to say that this time would have been any different?" Celestia cut in, stunning Luna. "As sad as it is, Black Heart asked for death so that he would no longer be a threat to those he swore to protect. He died on his terms and the ponies were saved because of it. That is all I care about." Luna looked at Celestia with disgust in her eyes before she turned and left the room, leaving Black Adam alone with Celestia.

"She will not forgive you for saying that," Adam pointed out, only for Celestia to shrug in response. Adam looked around at the shadow that covered the room, knowing that they were a reflection of how Celestia was feeling. "Celestia...I am so sorry that I failed you." Celestia said nothing, but Adam knew she was listening. "I promised to protect Sunny...and I gained the powers that could have saved her the moment after she died. I was too far away to protect Radiance...and she is dead as well. If I could, I would find a way to-"

"Thank you, Teth, but you have done enough." Adam took the hint and left the room, silently hating himself for having failed so. He prepared to take off on his patrol of the land, but to his surprise Celestia exited her room and walked by him without a word. Curiosity overcame him and he floated behind her to find out where she was going.

'She does not seem to care that I am following her, but I wonder what cause would be great enough to get her to leave her chambers?' he pondered as he followed her. To his surprise he found her path led to the science wing of the castle, more specifically to the area where Adam had dumped the remains of the human that had killed Radiance. She briefly spoke with a scientist who ran off before she turned to face Black Adam.

"You tried to tell me the other day that there was something strange about this suit, yes?" she asked him with a dry tone, Adam only nodding in response. The scientist came back with the human corpse on a cart, allowing the pair to look over it. Adam narrowed his eyes as he saw the hints of silver magic coming off of it, and a quick look at Celestia showed that she could at least sense the magic. "You can sense it too?"

"I can do more than that. I can see it," Adam muttered as he muttered some enchantments, trying to draw out the faint traces of magic that flowed through the human. "It is a magic that is foreign to me...yet at the same time it feels like I have sensed it before. But the color is what truly interests me. The color of this magic is silver." The look on Celestia's face told him that she knew what he was implying.

"So the silver one has already tried to take my life, only to claim my daughter instead," Celestia muttered, already knowing the answer. Adam nodded as he began to look over the strange technology that the human wielded, from the oddly designed suit to the helmet (minus the head inside) and slowly came to a conclusion that interested him.

"This is not something from my world," he muttered with interest. "And my senses are telling me that they do not belong in this reality."

"This reality?" Celestia muttered with confusion. "Are you saying these humans came from a parallel world?"

"Stranger things have happened. This must be how the creature that uses the silver magic is escaping my senses. Because it is not in this reality." Turning the body over revealed a storage compartment and upon opening it Adam found a number of schematics that he could not read. "But it seems that these humans came from a race far more advanced than mine."

"Can you decipher what that says?" Celestia asked. Adam looked over the schematics for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. I may have the wisdom of Zehuti, but that does mean I can read what this says. I know of a few humans who might be able to unravel it, yet they are out of my reach for now." Celestia sighed before shaking her head and walking out of the room, looking down at the scientist as she passed by him.

"Take anything that may prove to be of scientific worth and place it in the laboratories. Dispose of the rest. I do not wish to be reminded of what happened." The scientist nodded as Celestia walked out of the room, but he had to wait a few minutes to do as she asked due to Black Adam still looking over the schematics.

'Yes, only a few humans could read this, but the one I am thinking of would not do so without a price,' he silently thought to himself. 'And even if I could reach him and had something of value to trade, I do not enjoy working with Luthor.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"Why do you require me to meet with the ponies in the center of town?" he snarled at Luna, the Princess of the Night giving him an equal glare at his defiance.

"Because the ponies wish to see you and despite my numerous attempts to convince them otherwise, they see you as a hero," she said with a cold venom. "So instead of being upset about having to talk to some beings that don't want to kill you, how about you suck it up and get ready to meet with them!" She turned and stormed away from him after saying this, leaving Adam to sit on his anger as he looked out of the castle window.

'That oaf of a princess never cease to infuriate me. But I suppose it has been too long since I spoke with the ponies of this land,' he bemused to himself. 'I would wager that Luna has some ill-contrived plan thought up to make me look like a fool in front of them, but I will take this chance to prove to her that I am the true champion.' He turned to head out, when his ears picked up on the slightest sound of stifled crying. He need not look to know who it was, but still he flew over by the Canterlot library, seeing the purple and green dragon within.

'He has taken the death of Radiance harder than the rest of us,' Adam thought as he watched the dragon try to arrange the library books through tear-stained eyes. With a sad shake of his head, Adam turned and flew out of the castle, heading towards the place Luna had described. 'Celestia was kind to give him a job and a place to stay within the castle.' He reached his destination within seconds, though he was a bit startled to see that a large crowd had already gathered in an area that reminded him of the Greek stages. His keen eyes picked up the two princess along with the Elements of Harmony, and he descended next to them, nodding in greeting to each of them while picking up hints of hatred in the Elements' eyes.

'They have not forgotten what I did to Black Heart. They will in time, though.' He had little time to ponder over this though, as the crowd went wild at the sight of their hero. Adam smirked to himself when he saw the face Luna made at the reaction, but he did not say anything about the matter.

"Alright, Sister, we are all here now. Why did you want to speak with all of us in front of such a crowd?" Celestia began, once she had silenced the crowd by raising her wings. Luna gave both Celestia and Adam one hard glare before she turned to the crowd of ponies and yelled in her regal voice,

"Ponies! I have called you here today to tell you a truth that has remained silent for far too long! To tell you the horrible truth about the "hero" that you call Black Adam!" The sound of thousands of ponies gasping all at once amused Adam for a moment, but he said nothing as he waited to hear Luna's full plan. "Indeed, this hero is no better than the very villains that he supposedly protects you from! You believe it bad when Sombra enslaved the Crystal Empire? Well, what if I told you that Black Adam murdered two MILLION of his own people in a rage!"

Upon hearing the crowd gasp in shock, Celestia looked over to her sister and asked, "Luna, what are you doing?"

"Opening their eyes, and hopefully yours, to the truth," Luna muttered back before turning again to the crowd. "Adam has also slaughtered every single villain or threat that he has fought since arriving in our land. Now some of you may think, "well they're evil, shouldn't they be punished?" Punished, yes. Murdered viciously? Never. We are better than that!" The crowd fell into a dead hush and Black Adam felt all eyes upon him, waiting to hear him answer.

"What she says is true," he admitted without guilt, getting horrified cries from the crowd. "But again, this foal of a princess has left out the full story. The two million I killed were the murderers who killed my family in cold blood. I retaliated in kind. And you say that I murdered the villains, but you left me with little choice. It is obvious that the Elements are weaker than you believed, if so many can escape their power. Discord, Black Heart; how many more evils have you imprisoned with the Elements' powers? How many more dangerous foes may possibly return? I have done what I always do. Protect those under my care."

Luna listened to the murmuring of the crowd and didn't like what she was hearing. While some seemed to be concerned about Adam's actions, most of them were supporting his side of the argument. With little choice left if she hoped to convince them, she knew that she had to resort to her trump card.

"Very well then, Adam, if you truly believe yourself free of any guilt, then you would be fine with facing the Elements?" The crowd fell into a dead hush as Adam looked at the six Elements of Harmony, all of whom, including Fluttershy, looked like they wanted to beat him into nothingness.

'So, that is your grand plan, Luna? Use this pathetic magic of yours to try to overpower me and see if they will do to me what they have done to other criminals?' he thought to himself with a smirk, amazed that Luna had spent so long on such a futile plan. His first instinct was to turn it down and not waste his time with such a meaningless task, but a quick glance toward the crowd told him that if he did not undergo this task, he would lose their trust. "Very well, Luna, I will face what you consider to be your champions. But know that when this is over and I have proven myself, there will be trouble."

"I highly doubt that we'll get that far," Luna said with a sneer as she nodded to the Elements, all of whom nodded back and took up fighting positions while Luna moved to the side, Celestia racing over to her with fear written on her face.

"Sister, what are you doing?! Teth does not need to do this, he has proven multiple times--"

"That he is a serious threat that could wipe us out in an instant!" Luna cut her off as Adam turned to face the Mane Six. "The only way I will ever be convinced that he is as good as you say, is if he can survive the Elements' powers without any ill affect on him. Only then!"

Adam looked over each of his "foes" with a hint of mirth in his eyes, knowing that his battle would be easy. 'Yet while I am certain I know most of these ponies' motivations for trying to face me, I am not sure of one of them.' "Care to tell me why you are siding with that fool of a princess, Twilight? You have known me longer than any of your friends. You know that I am not the monster that Luna describes."

"You're right; Teth was no monster," Twilight seethed with rage. "But you're not Teth anymore. You're Black Adam, a murdered and a destroyer. And I'm going to stop you here, with the power of Friendship!" The six of them all joined together in formation, a formation that Adam knew signified the Storm of Harmony. There was no worry on his face as he watched the six of them charge up their powers, for he knew that his magic was superior in every way. "Prepare yourself, murderer."

"I do not blame you for what you will fail to do, ponies. Luna has twisted your opinion of me. I will set it straight with this test." Twilight and the others began to glow with a white light as the magic connected them, each of them glaring at Black Adam with white eyes as they prepared their spells. Black Adam crossed his arms as the spell reached its full power and remained motionless as they all let out a scream, sending a tidal wave of rainbow magic towards Adam. He never flinched as the magic struck him head on, not afraid in the least. At worst, he was expecting a light breeze.

What he was not expecting was pain.

Adam writhed as the magic coursed into him, somehow slipping past his natural defenses to magic and nearly bringing him to his knees. Against his own will, he could see every action of his life flashing before his eyes, as if the magic was judging him for what he had done. The pain subsided as memories of his early life passed him by, but where it intensified again was when he murdered in rage for the first time. As his life as Black Adam went on, the pain got stronger and stronger until he was forced to his knees and the ponies took notice.

"It is just as I thought," Luna smugly said to herself as the crowd gasped at the sight of the Elements forcing Black Adam to his knees. "He is far beyond corrupt. He is evil."

"For those you failed to protect," Dash snarled.

"For my animals," Fluttershy growled.

"Fer Black Heart."

"For Teth," Twilight finished.

'You cannot judge me like this!' Adam roared within his mind as he struggled to fight back. He felt the pain intensify every time he betrayed one who called him friend, every time he stabbed a loyal one in the back or whenever he lied through his teeth for his own goals. Acts of cruelty induced the worse pain and for a moment Adam truly believed that he would be consumed by the Elements as stone started to gather on his body. But then an image flashed across his mind. The image of Isis.

'Do not fail here, my beloved. You must still avenge us all!' The image of his nation and all of the people within it flashed before his eyes, giving Adam the strength that he had been missing.

'Yes, I cannot fail until I have my vengeance! Until I have my justice! I am sorry Twilight, but I am going to stop your Elements here!' With vengeance fueling his movements, Adam managed to lift his head just enough so he could look at the six opposite him. The Elements restricted him from moving even with his godly strength, but Adam was aware that he could still talk, however small his voice was. But he was also certain the Elements held no candle to the power of the word. So as he cast his head back, the skies let loose their fury as he yelled,

"SHAZAM!"

The thunderbolt that descended upon the combatants would forever be burned into the minds of the ponies who were watching. For the moment the divine lightning assaulted the Elements with its power, an explosion that rocked the very land beneath them went off, sending a column of magic into the sky that could be seen for miles. Adam could feel pain envelope him as he was thrown back, far greater than what he had felt before. His cape was blasted to ash by the power, and for a moment he was afraid that he would be as well, but his godly body held--for his own lightning had never reached him, never returned him to his mortal form. He felt himself collide with something as the explosion ended, allowing him to slowly rise to a vertical position.

'That...hurt. I gave those Elements far too little credit, their power was more than I bargained for,' he thought to himself as he prepared for the next assault from the Elements of Harmony, but the attack never came. And then the horror began to rise as the smoke cleared, revealing to him and to all of Canterlot what he had done when he had summoned the lightning. Six bodies lay motionless in the center of the crater created by the collision of the magics, six bodies that only a moment ago had been filled with life and power.

"No..." Adam whispered to himself before he appeared at Twilight's side, looking down at her with absolute dread when he saw that nearly all of her body was covered in magical burns. With shaking hands he gently took her into his arms, agony flooding through him as he felt no life course through. Almost instantly and against his will, images of her playing with Radiance and Sunnysmiles crossed his mind as he held her, along with a sickening realization...

'I did this,' he silently thought. 'I...I was so focused on my revenge that I did not consider what the word would do to their spell. I...' A gust of wind blew through the dead silent stage, and to Adam's shock the cracked and blackened Element upon Twilight's head was blown away like dust. The other five Elements were blown away like dust in the wind. Adam's eyes looked over the six innocent lives that had just been taken, the six who had died because he had given into his revenge. His hands dropped Twilight's body to the ground as he gazed at them, horrified beyond words.

"Teth..." Adam turned his head to see not just Celestia, but all of Canterlot looking him with complete horror in their eyes. But Celestia's eyes were the worst to look into. Because there was not just fear in her eyes, but pain, agony, and betrayal. Black Adam could feel every eye in the city upon him, but none of that mattered to him. All that went through his mind was the realization of what he had just done. Six innocents, one of whom was his friend, were dead by his hands...because of his desire for revenge.

And with that single thought running through his mind and the guilt crushing his heart, Adam shot into the sky with a speed that quickly took him out of the planet's atmosphere, where all he could hear was the thunder that had claimed the six lives...that he had destroyed innocents for revenge.

That despite everything he had tried, he hadn't changed at all.

Evil Awakened

Rain gently sprinkled down upon the dreary land, as an alicorn stood silently on a hill far outside the walls of Canterlot, a hill that she had visited far too often in the year since the day Harmony fell. On the top of a hill stood a single tree with eight tombstones beneath it, eight ponies that had been closer to her than most others laying in the dirt.

'First, my daughters, now the Elements of Harmony and my personal student...why am I cursed? Why does everypony I care about die before me, while I am powerless to stop it?' Celestia questioned herself as her tears and the rain mixed together, but both streamed down her face falling freely. "I do not know if any of you can hear me in the afterlife, but know that I am truly sorry for failing to protect you." She hung her head and remained in the rain, not counting the minutes as she grieved. The faintest sound of flapping wings gained her attention and she slightly turned her head to see Luna landing beside her.

"What do you want?" she asked with more scorn in her voice than she wanted. Luna looked hurt for a moment, before she walked forward and sat beside her sister, placing a flower on each of the graves.

"I have gone around this past year and checked on all the other evils that we sealed away, just to make sure that they have been secured," she informed Celestia. "Fortunately for us, none of the other evils have managed to even crack the enchantments that hold them at bay." Celestia nodded once again, and the two sat silently beside each other, until Luna dared a question she hadn't asked in nearly a year. "Have you...seen or heard from Black Adam at all?"

"No. I have not," Celestia spat. Luna knew that the tone wasn't directed at her, but she still felt guilt stab at her heart, still not able to get the image of the Elements out of her mind after what Adam had done to them. "And I tell you now that he is no longer welcome in this land, not as long as I still protect it."

"I am so sorry, Sister. I wanted so badly to show you who Black Adam really was, and I foolishly thought that simply exposing him to the Elements would be enough to prove how evil he was," Luna said with self-loathing choking her words. "But I truly believed that the Elements could overpower him, yet I forgot just how ungodly his power was. It is my fault that the Elements of Harmony are dead." Celestia wrapped a wing around her sister to comfort her, though her thoughts were on a different wavelength than her sister's.

'Yet, I do not believe that it was truly Teth's...Black Adam's...intention to kill them either,' Celestia silently thought to herself. 'I saw his face before he flew off to sister-knows-where, and he looked...devastated, even more so than me or my sister. But even if it were an accident, that does not change what has done.' The two remained silently besides each other, until both of them lifted their heads in confusion, both of them sensing that something was wrong.

"Sister, am I mistaken or does it feel like...ponies are losing their magic?" Luna asked Celestia, whose eyes were closed as she did her best to sense the disturbance. Her eyes snapped open, as a thought of who it could be flashed across her mind, and she spread her wings to take to the skies, Luna following her as the sisters flew back to Canterlot as fast as their wings would carry them.

"It feels so wrong, but it reminds me of a magic that I have not felt in a lifetime," Celestia said with fear, as she and Luna arrived back at Canterlot, barely having time to land in front of the castle before the guards threw open the doors to let them inside, and told them that Shining Armor was waiting for them. Upon reaching the throne room, the two princesses discovered both Shining Armor and Cadence waiting for them, fear in both of their eyes as well.

"Princesses, thank Faust that you're back!" Shining cried out as he rushed over to them, visibly shaken by something. "Reports are coming in from all across Equestria that ponies everywhere are losing their magic, with extra reports saying that some sort of monster is the cause of all the trouble!" All three princesses shared the same horrified glance before Luna rushed out of the room, yelling to every guard in the palace to prepare for battle. "Cadence, Celestia? What's going on?"

"There is only one monster throughout history that has had the power to absorb magic on such a massive scale," Cadence explained to her husband as Celestia ran into a back room. "He is called Tirek, and he can consume any magic from any pony that he comes into contact with, no matter what species or power they have. We sealed him away a lifetime ago, but somehow he is back."

"That must have been when Cerberus escaped two years ago," Luna explained as she entered the room again, a large number of guards behind her. "And in that time, we were so focused on Black Adam that we never sensed his presence! And without the Elements, I am not sure if we can defeat him again! Darn it all!"

"But we will fight him."

All eyes turned towards Celestia, who was now wearing regal golden armor and had a fire in her eyes that Luna had not seen since the death of Radiance. "Because we beat him once and we can do it again, but only if all of Equestria stands together against this threat. Tirek will be coming for us soon; for our alicorn magic. So this is where we will draw the line. Shining, evacuate as many of the ponies as you can and recall every guard station wherever they are. For now, we wage war!"

S=H=A=Z=A=M

There were no sounds where the fallen one rested...no sounds of laughter, no sounds of speaking; not even the sound of his own breathing could be heard. Yet there was the sound of thunder that echoed across his mind and the screams that followed it, the screams that refused to leave him alone. But there was still no sound, for one cannot make sounds on the surface of the moon.

For the past year the moon had been his prison. Not a prison in a sense that he could not escape it, for nothing could truly contain him, but it was his own prison, where he had exiled himself after his failing--after he valued revenge more than the lives of those closest to him. So now the moon was his prison, his own self-imposed exile.

A year alone meant nothing to the god, though. Once, he had flown for five thousand years to return to Earth with only himself as company. A year on the moon passed in the blink of an eye. He had filled that time much like he had filled his flight back to his home, with thoughts about his family and what life had been like living as their ruler, their protector. But there were no thoughts of revenge. He did not deserve revenge.

He had teased the idea of leaving the planet below, of heading back to his own birth planet and trying to repair the damage that had been done, to try and make his once great nation even greater again. But his guilt held him back, the same guilt that prevented him from returning to the surface below. So for a year he sat, with only his guilt and the voices of those he loved.

'Why do you remain here, my beloved?' the voice of Isis whispered to him, only for him to shut it out once again, as he had done so for the past year. 'Please let me speak to you, Teth. You are so lonely up here by yourself. Please, let me guide you like I did all those years ago.' He would have pushed her away, just like all the other times, but this once he let her in, despite knowing better.

'What do you wish to say to me now?' he thought, with hints of rage that quickly fizzled out. 'Have I not done enough for you?'

'You have yet to avenge your nation, Teth,' she whispered into his ear, but all it did was enrage Adam again.

'I am tired of revenge. For over five thousand years revenge has been my goal, my purpose. My revenge has already claimed enough lives, most of them ones who did not deserve my wrath,' Adam berated, mostly to himself. 'I care not what sweet words you try to convince me with...I do not deserve justice. I see that now. I am the monster that the wizard and the princesses see me as. In my quest for revenge, all I have done is claimed those whom I sought to protect.'

'But there is still the evil that claimed us all back on Earth,' Isis reminded him. 'There are still the monsters that killed an entire nation to get to you. How many more will they claim, if you do not go back and strike them from the Earth? You have a duty to us Adam, to me! Avenge us, do not let our deaths be forgotten so easily.'

'Forgotten? I wiped out the neighboring country when I discovered they housed the criminals that took you from me! When our nation was destroyed I ripped the United States apart with my rage!' Adam reminded her, then realized that he was talking to a ghost once again. 'I do not know why I bother. You are not real and will never be real. I am speaking with nothing more than a hallucination.'

'Does that mean you wish for me to leave?'

'...No. But maybe it is time that I leave,' Adam thought as he silently rose up, kicking up a small amount of moon dust when he rose to his feet. He looked off into the stars and crouched down to leap off before he stopped himself, taking a moment to look one last time back at the planet of Equis.

'You cannot go back. You know that after what you did there, they will never accept you again,' Isis reminded him.

'Yes, I know. But I still do not know if I wish to leave them as I did,' Adam thought with a hint of regret. 'I promised them that I would protect them, and despite what I have done I always keep my word.'

'But you have already broken your word. You failed to protect Radiance and Sunnysmiles,' Isis said. 'And then you went and wiped out the Elements of Harmony. Your word is as broken as your morals. It is time to go, Teth. Time to go back home.' The ghostly image of Isis vanished into the vastness of space, as Adam rose off of the moon, taking aim at the stars in the far off realm of space. Before he shot off into the unknown, he turned back one last time to look at the planet below, narrowing his eyes for just a moment. Then he rocketed off into space, planning never to return.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Celestia kept her calm, despite seeing the numerous fires by which Canterlot had been consumed, knowing that almost all of her ponies had been evacuated from the city. 'But Tirek no longer needs their magic, it seems,' Celestia thought as she looked down at the giant centaur that marched up to the gates of the palace, driving both of his fists through the golden doors and ripping them off of their hinges. Beside Celestia sat Luna, who wore dark blue armor that matched Celestia's golden defense.

"Do you have a plan, Sister?" Luna asked Celestia, who remained silent as Tirek disposed of what guards had chosen to remain behind to defend their leaders. "I do not wish to seem negative, but he is far more powerful than the last time we faced him. Are you certain that it was wise of you to send Cadence and Shining away?"

"We cannot risk him consuming all of the alicorn magic at once. If we fail here, then at least Cadence will have a chance to prepare another plan," Celestia said with steeled resolve as she drew her blade, fire that burned like the sun erupting along its edge. "But if we fall here, then I will be with my daughters today." Luna nodded and drew her blade, which chilled the very air around it. Both princesses looked down upon the monstrous titan that approached them, his chuckles shaking the ground beneath their hooves.

"Celestia; Luna," Tirek said with mirth in his voice as he clenched his fists, both princesses backing up slightly as they felt his power. "It has been far too long. How many years was I trapped within Tarturus, again?"

"Not nearly long enough," Luna snarled back. "How many ponies did you drain of their power to reach the state you are in now?"

"All of them, my dear Luna," Tirek laughed in response as he glared at the two princesses. "Now then, come down off of that wall and face me! Or do I have to bring it down myself and drag your bodies from the rubble?" Luna and Celestia nodded to each other before they spread their slightly-armored wings, taking to the skies around Tirek. Celestia let loose a burning storm of fire around Tirek, who raised an arm to shield himself from the consuming fire with a chuckle.

"I was truly hoping that it would be more of a challenge than this to take your powers from you," he teased before inhaling a massive breath, which he then unleashed upon the flames with enough force to extinguish them instantly. The flames had just gone out when ice shot out of the ground around Tirek's hooves and began to crawl up his leg, beginning to encase him in ice. The titan laughed at the effort, before he smashed both of his fists into the ice, shattering it into nothingness. "Luna, you are far more of a weakling than I remember. Now both of you come down and face me!"

"He truly is stronger than the last time we sealed him away," Luna snarled as she flung herself at Tirek, rolling out of the way of his hands that shot out to grab her, while slicing his side with her blade. Tirek growled in pain as his hand shot out and struck Luna in the wing, sending her skidding across the ground.

"And now your power belongs to me," Tirek said with a chuckle as he reached down to grab Luna, but a flash of fire caused him to retract his hand with a yowl of pain. Celestia grabbed her stunned sister with her magic and lifted her off of the streets and onto the balcony of one of the towers.

"Ugh, he's even faster than I remember," Luna groaned as she was helped to her hooves. "This isn't working, Tia, we can't fight a monster like him with magic, at least not on the level we have. Do you have anything that...might..." Celestia turned to where Luna was looking to see another tower sailing through the air straight towards them. Both princesses took to the sky with only seconds to spare before the other tower crashed into the one they had been standing upon, bringing them both down.

"I warned you that your walls would not be able to strop me from getting to you!" Tirek roared at the two from the gardens, tearing up statues which he then threw at the princesses, his anger growing with every miss. "Very well, if you will not willingly come down to my level, I will bring you down!" The princesses gasped with horror as he began to channel the magic he had stolen from all of Equestria into the space between his horns, creating a black and red sphere of power.

"FALL!" An energy blast of absolute magic shot through the air directly for the two. Celestia and Luna threw themselves out of the way to avoid the attack, but the buildings behind them were erased from existence by the power. Luna recovered first and threw herself at Tirek, her blade flashing with pale light as she weaved under his legs, her sword biting into each one of them.

"Am I as weak now as you remember, you overgrown parasite?" Luna snarked at Tirek who clutched at his legs, glaring daggers at the Princess of the Night. He turned towards her with a roar before crying out in pain as Celestia's blazing blade struck him in the side, the pain driving the titan to his knees.

"He is weakening sister! Hurry, before he has a chance to recover!" Celestia and Luna both cried out as they flung themselves at Tirek again, both of them driving themselves into his chest. Their combined forces were enough to knock the titan over, where he roared with pain as the two drove their blades through each of his hands, pinning him to the ground. "Now Tirek, it is time to return the magic you stole from this land to those who need it!" Luna and Celestia crossed their horns in the air and began to channel their magic between them, creating the same rainbow sphere that had sealed him away all those years ago.

"Tirek, for the pain you have caused to Equestria along with stealing all of the magic in the land, we hereby banish you back to the depths from whence you came!" Luna decreed. But when the sphere of rainbow magic was at its fullest did Tirek act. He roared as he shot a beam of dark magic from his horn, a beam that struck the princesses in their horns. They cried out as their spell exploded on them, hurling the sisters onto the streets below. Tirek chuckled as with an effort he pulled the blades out of the ground and then out of his hands. With a smirk he turned to face the princesses, who were still trying to get vertical.

"We...cannot give up now," Celestia grunted as she drew her blade with her magic once again, but her horn flickered and with a cry of pain she dropped the sword to the ground. Luna tried to grab her weapon with her own magic, but she never even got her horn to glow. All both of them could do was watch with fear in their eyes as Tirek lumbered over to them, a wicked smile on his face as he looked down at the weakened princesses.

"Will you still try to resist me?" he asked them with a bellowing laugh, which grew even louder when he saw the fire in their eyes. "You do not know when you are beaten! Allow me to teach you the meaning of impossible!" He drove his fist into Celestia's chest and sent her flying into one of the castle walls, with enough force that her golden armor cracked. Celestia slid to the streets where she slowly began to cough up blood.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Luna roared before taking her blade in her teeth and driving it into Tirek's leg, causing the centaur to cry with pain, before he looked down at Luna with a look of wrath. He lifted one of his hooves and slammed it upon her, driving the alicorn into the ground. He lifted his hoof and drove it down upon her again. Luna screamed in pain as she felt her ribs give out.

"Now then, Celestia," Tirek said to the white alicorn, who had just risen to her hooves with blood trickling out of her mouth. "I give you an ultimatum! Surrender your magic to me and I will spare your sister!"

"No, Sister, do not do it!" Luna weakly cried from under his hoof. "He knows that he is not yet strong enough to force the magic from us, so he must...GAH!" Tirek pushed down on Luna with more force to prove his point. Celestia looked at her sister laying under the centaur's hoof with horror in her eyes, realizing that there was nothing she could do to stop Tirek from killing her. Nothing except...

"Very well. Take it," Celestia whispered. Tirek laughed with victory as he inhaled deeply, sucking the very magic out of Celestia and into himself. Once he was done consuming her magic, Celestia staggered on her hooves with spots blinking before her eyes. Tirek then bent over and sucked the magic out of Luna as well, growing far bigger than he already was.

"The power! The absolute power!" Tirek laughed out loud as he walked over to the castle, removing his hoof from Luna. Celestia raced over to her sister, tears forming in her eyes to see the state she was in. "I have never felt this powerful before! The sun and moon are mine to command! I am now the strongest being in the world!" Tirek laughed as he held both hands to the sky. Then he slowly turned his gaze back to Celestia and her fallen sister, a sinister smile growing on his face.

"And now that I control the sun and moon, there is no longer a need for the two of you," Tirek said with evil mirth as he narrowed his eyes. "I could do to you what you did to me, but Tartarus is far too good a place for the likes of you two. So I'll send you to hell instead!" Celestia's eyes widened in fear as she watched the magic begin to form between Tirek's horns, knowing that neither she nor her sister would be able to survive the blast. But she had to try.

'Forgive me, Luna,' Celestia thought as she threw herself over her unconscious sister, closing her eyes as she struggled to summon whatever magic she could reach to protect her sister. With her eyes closed, all she could hear was the charging of the spell that would mean her end, and the mad laugh of Tirek, the laugh of a being that now ruled over the ponies. But then to her surprise there was another sound, one she had not heard in a long time. And when she heard it, she opened her eyes and spun around, her eyes locked to the sky.

She had heard the sound of divine thunder.

Tirek leaned forward to fire his spell when a column of lightning descended from on high, striking him with all of its magical might. He howled in pain as the electricity rooted him in place, his spell firing into the sky as the power forced his head back. Celestia barely had time to register what had happened, when she blinked and found both she and Luna on the outskirts of Ponyville, where a large crowd of ponies had been watching the fight. But all eyes turned towards one figure who now stood beside Celestia, a figure none of them had expected to see again.

He wore a pitch black suit that hummed with magical power, complete with two golden gauntlets on his arms and twin polished grieves on his legs. Nearly everypony, though, was looking at his chest, a chest that had in its center a single, golden bolt of lightning. But Celestia was looking into the face of the man who had just saved her, disbelief in her eyes.

"Teth?" she asked weakly as she felt herself being lowered to the ground. Black Adam placed her injured sister beside her as gently as he could. He then rose back to his full height and turned toward Canterlot, crouching down as he prepared to launch himself towards it. "Teth wait! What are you doing here! Why did you save us, after what--?"

"Because Celestia, I gave you my word that I would protect you no matter what," Black Adam said to her with conviction in his voice, Celestia's eyes widening at his words. "And I never go back on my word." With the sound of thunder shaking the air, Adam threw himself at the city, reaching it a moment later. He came to a stop above the centaur, who looked up at him with shock and awe in his eyes.

"And just what are you?!" Tirek yelled up at him.

"I am Black Adam," Black Adam responded as he crossed his arms, black thunder clouds overhead swirling around him. Lightning flashed behind Black Adam, turning his eyes pure white for a moment. "And I am your reckoning."

Return

Adam could see the trepidation on the face of his foe, but there was an overwhelming confidence on the centaur as well. Black Adam could also feel a number of different magics coming off of the centaur, ranging from unicorn to Pegasus magic. 'And then there are the princesses' magic as well,' Adam thought. 'Is he some kind of magic vampire? I will need to end this quickly if that is the case.'

"And what manner of creature are you?" the centaur roared up at Adam, who crossed his arms while lightning flashed across the sky behind him. "I am Lord Tirek, the new ruler of Equestria! And if you stand against me, I will crush you in the same way I did those princesses!"

"I am Black Adam, former champion of this land," Adam bitterly said as his eyes flashed. "And I will do more than oppose you. I am going to end you, here and now." Tirek laughed aloud as Adam floated down to the ground, uncrossing his arms as he looked up at the centaur.

"You believe yourself to be able to match blows with me? I have the princesses' magic, making me far superior to you!" With a smirk Tirek threw a punch at Adam, who caught the fist with ease before chucking the centaur across the street, where he ploughed through the side of a building. Shock was written on Tirek's face as he rose back to his hooves, looking at Black Adam with narrowed eyes. "There is a magic that I have never felt before flowing through you. You are indeed a worthy foe! Come."

Black Adam threw himself at Tirek with both fists outstretched, planning to end this battle in one blow, but now to his shock Tirek teleported out of the way and created a small sun where he had been standing. Black Adam collided with the mini sun and flew right threw it, not feeling the intense heat that had melted the street around him. "And the heat of the sun does not even faze you," Tirek observed as he snapped his fingers, causing the tiny sun to vanish. "Now I know that I desire your power."

"It will take far more than anything you can muster to strip my powers from me," Adam snarled as he slammed his palms together, eyes locked on Tirek as he cried out, "Nok der shazam!" Bolts of lightning descended from the sky and struck the ground, tearing through it as the bolts all converged on Tirek. Tirek snarled while crossing his arms, creating a barrier of magic that deflected the bolts. He smirked at Black Adam as the lightning vanished, but then the bolts struck the castle behind him and tore it apart. Tirek turned his head to see the destruction before turning back to Adam, narrowing his eyes once again.

"You speak the truth, thunderer! You truly will take everything that I have to bring you down! But my power is absolute!" Tirek boasted. Magic began to form between his horns as he snarled, creating an attack so powerful that even Adam could feel its tingle against his skin. With the speed of the gods Black Adam drove his shoulder into Tirek's chest, planning to tear the centaur in half then and there, but to his shock the being did not tear. "I was forged in the pits of Tartarus! I will not be broken so easily!" A heavy right hand to Adam's jaw sent the god flying through a number of buildings and skidding through the streets.

'He is not as pathetic as the other evils that I have faced in this land,' Adam thought to himself as he shot straight up to his feet, rubbing his jaw slightly. 'Alone, the pony magic poses no threat to me, but with all the magic in the land within one being, it seems that it can match my might. I will have to be more...strategic.' His gaze turned skyward as he looked up to see Tirek launch himself into the air, both fists raised over his head with a look of wrath.

Adam kicked the street beneath him to get airborne quickly, this time throwing himself at Tirek's legs instead of his mid-section. He timed the blow correctly and bowled Tirek over in the air. He spun, the moment he felt himself collide with the centaur, and fired a sphere of lightning into the face of Tirek, sending the howling titan to the streets below. A smirk crossed his face as he looked down upon the dust cloud that Tirek's impact had created, before a chunk of the streets was hurled out of the cloud, striking Adam in the face. Despite not wounding Adam, it was enough to stun him for a moment, giving Tirek the chance to charge up his spell once again.

"FALL!" Tirek yelled as he unleashed the surge of magic towards Adam, creating a massive laser of energy that consumed the dark god. Adam could feel his own magical defenses falling under the intense waves of magic, and with a snarl he held his hands out to try and re-direct the attack, using all of his strength to throw the magic blast towards the Everfree Forest. A flash like a bomb went off, and when Adam could see the forest again, there was nothing left of it to see...only a barren wasteland.

"Do you see now what I am capable of?" Tirek bellowed as Adam turned his wrath-filled eyes back towards Tirek. "The Everfree Forest was beyond pony control and yet with one attack I reduced it to cinders! You cannot hope to--" A right hand to Tirek's jaw silenced the titan's boasting and hurled him through the city. He crashed through the side of the castle and skidded to a stop in front of the throne of Equestria, snarling as he rose, and he turned to see Adam flying towards him.

"I have fought beings far more threatening than a half-breed that can only gain power by taking it from others!" Adam roared as he slipped underneath of the right punch Tirek threw, stopping beneath his lower half so he could drive his fist into Tirek's stomach. Tirek went straight up and collided with the ceiling, sending him crashing back down to the floor. He shook his head with a groan as he tried to get up, but then he saw a shadow cast itself over him.

"You desire the throne that much?" Adam asked him as Tirek looked up, turning to see Black Adam holding Celestia's throne above his head with one hand. "Then it is yours!" Black Adam cast the throne down upon Tirek, crushing him with the seat of the Ruler of Equestria. Tirek bellowed in rage as he burst through the stone and slammed into Adam, driving the two of them through the castle windows. Tirek held Black Adam in front of him as they collided into the streets below, shaking the city from the impact.

"You dare to mock me?!" Tirek roared as he used is hooves to hold Black Adam's arms down, while his fists introduced themselves to Adam's face multiple times. "I am a god, filled with more magical power than you could ever comprehend! But as a matter of fact," Tirek said with a large grin as he remembered what fueled Black Adam. "I could do with a bit more." He opened his mouth wide, preparing to suck the very magic out of Black Adam.

"Alakazam!" Adam yelled as he flexed his arms, using the force of the flex to push Tirek's hooves off of him. Adam raised his hands as the spell took effect and he pointed his first two fingers at Tirek's mouth, sending a blast of blue lightning into the centaur's mouth. Tirek screamed with pain as the lightning fried his face, causing him to fall to his knees. "Keep your mouth shut. You'll live longer." Adam struck the titan in the jaw and sent him across the sky once again, watching as he landed back within the city.

"It will take more than that to keep me down," Tirek snarled as he fought back to his hooves, pushing the tons of rubble off of him with ease. Tirek watched as Black Adam came flying towards him with incredible speeds, giving him just enough time to act. His horns glowed as he created a small portal in front of himself, smirking as he watched Adam fly right into it. He closed that portal and stuck out his fist, opening a new portal ten feet in front of his hand. Adam came flying right through that portal and flew himself into a right hand, knocking him to the ground where he tumbled a bit.

"Your petty tricks will not defeat me!" Adam snarled as he turned and let lightning lance from his fingertips, causing Tirek to smirk as he created another portal that swallowed the lightning. Adam looked at him in confusion for a moment before Tirek snapped his fingers again and Adam felt his own power strike him in the back, hurling him into the streets. Tirek's horns glowed again as he lifted the stunned Black Adam with his magic, a smile of victory on his face.

"How does it feel to have your own power used against you?" Tirek bragged before swinging his arm down, causing the magic that held Adam aloft to drive him into the streets. A flick of his wrist sent Adam careening through a number of homes that had belonged to the citizens, bringing them down behind him. Tirek raised both his arms into the air, levitating five houses over where Black Adam was getting back up. A smile and a flick of his arms was enough to send the houses down to bury his foe. "You are indeed a strong foe, but not even you can--"

Adam burst out of the tomb with a flash of lightning and hurled himself through the air towards Tirek with enough force the blow away the houses that had not already fallen. Adam hit Tirek hard, and the centaur felt himself sail through the air. Black Adam appeared behind the flying Tirek and slammed both of his fists into his body, sending the centaur into and through the streets of the upper level of Canterlot. Adam lowered himself through the hole he had created to find Tirek staggering back up to his hooves, blood trickling from his mouth as his eyes shot murder at Adam.

"Even the great Tirek begins to tire," Adam taunted as he crossed his arms. "It seems that this fight is already over." Tirek braced himself as Black Adam prepared his last attack, but then, both of them were stopped dead by a sound that neither of them expected to hear--the sounds of crying and fear. Both foes turned their heads to see a small number of ponies huddled together underneath some fallen rubble. Tirek and Adam both looked at each other after seeing the ponies, a heartbeat passed before they moved. Tirek turned his head towards the ponies and unleashed his magic towards them, giving Adam only a few seconds to react.

'Now is my chance to strike him down!' was the first thought that crossed his mind as he prepared to tackle Tirek, but then the image of the dead Elements flashed across his mind. With a snarl Adam spun on a dime and hurled himself in front of the ponies, bracing as he felt the magic beam strike him in the back. With a roar, Black Adam turned and caught the magic laser in his hands, snarling as he drew back one fist. He then threw a blow with all of his might, a blow powerful enough to send the laser flying back to its owner, and striking Tirek in the face. "What...are you fools...still doing here?!" he managed to snarl out as he drove his feet through the ground to keep himself from falling over.

"We...we couldn't get out in time," one of them muttered with fear in their eyes. Adam frowned as he rose to his full height, but with a hint of surprise he saw some of the younger ponies looking up at him with awe in their eyes.

"Then leave. This is not a safe place." The sounds of rubble moving gained his attention and Adam threw himself towards the moving rubble, catching Tirek in the gut right as he burst through the debris. Adam took the both of them into the sky above Canterlot where he lifted Tirek over his head, aiming the centaur for the land outside of Ponyville. With a power that could break the earth, Adam hurled Tirek, who reached the dirt in a matter of seconds.

'His endurance is beyond what I expected,' Adam thought as he floated down to the fields on the outskirts of Ponyville, watching as once again Tirek managed to pull himself out of what Adam believed to be a fatal attack. 'But the power is not his own. Yet this leaves me with a dilemma. How can I keep him down?...This has not failed me yet, so I will try it again.' Adam threw himself at Tirek, the centaur snarling as he fired beams of magic from his horns at Black Adam. Adam simply dodged with ease before sliding underneath of Tirek, calling down the power as he did so.

"SHAZAM!"

Divine justice descended from on high to smite Tirek, but as Black Adam rolled out to his slide and turned to see what had happened, his eyes widened in disbelief. Tirek had seen the lightning coming and had opened his mouth as it descended, swallowing the divine magic. "How?" Adam asked in disbelief.

"I knew that eventually you would resort to this," Tirek chuckled as he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "I have been free for two years; did you truly believe that I would not learn about all I had missed in the long time I had been gone? I may not have known what you looked like at first, but many a pony told me of the once great Black Adam. Now then, taste your own lightning!" Tirek concentrated with all of his might, but with increasing confusion he found that he could not summon the same power as Black Adam.

"You did not learn enough about me or my power then," Black Adam taunted with a smirk as Tirek tried repeatedly to summon the lightning. "The true purpose of the word is to empower one who is worthy of its might to their ultimate potential, such as myself. You were not chosen by the wizard, so you cannot tap into the word's power. I knew that you could absorb magic, but my magic is not from this land. It is beyond you!"

"I still have more than enough power to deal with you!" Tirek roared as he charged towards Black Adam, snorting wildly as steam escaped from his nostrils. His eyes were narrowed with hate and both arms were extended, not allowing Adam to dodge to the left or the right. Neither option was what Black Adam chose as he flung himself over Tirek's head, blasting him in the back with lightning. As Tirek howled in pain, Black Adam noticed that Celestia was watching the battle on an opposing hill. After driving both of his boots to the back of Tirek's head and sending him into the mud below, he shot over to her.

"Black Adam...how is it going?" Adam could still hear the fear in her voice, but it seemed to be aimed at Tirek instead of him this time. Adam couldn't sense any of her usual magical power coming from her, which confused him slightly.

'So if Tirek takes your magic, he keeps it,' Adam thought.

"He will fall, but he still has your magic and we will need to return it to you," Black Adam replied. Celestia's eyes widened at his words, but Tirek seized their attention when he rose to his hooves with a roar of rage. "Is there a way you can take the magic from him? Strip him of the power he took from you?"

"It...is possible," Celestia muttered as Tirek turned his gaze towards them, roaring in rage. A blast of magical energy followed the roar which would have destroyed Celestia had Adam not scooped her into his arms and ascended into the sky. "If he is weakened enough, my sister and I can strip him of his power! He can only absorb the magic of those whom he is stronger than, and vice versa." Adam gently placed her down before he cracked his knuckles while Tirek roared again, .

"So, all I have to do is beat him until he's less than nothing. That will be simple." By holding his hands close to his golden bolt of lightning, Adam charged his fists with electricity, causing a crackling sound to emanate from him. With the lightning streaking behind him, Adam drove his fists into Tirek's face, knocking the centaur straight to the ground. The electrified fists wrapped around two of Tirek's legs and with a heave, Black Adam chucked Tirek into the air.

"You cannot stop me!" Tirek roared as he tried to aim downwards, but Adam was already upon him and the dark god drove his fist into Tirek's gut. After doubling him over, Adam grabbed him by one of the horns and swung him around his head. With a yell, he hurled Tirek into the ground, clasping his hands together and pointing them at the dust cloud, to unleash a torrent of magic upon his foe. The thunder from the attack could be heard for miles, but that sound was quickly drowned out by the scream of rage that Tirek let loose as he fought to get vertical.

"I will kill you! I will-" Adam shot down into Tirek's side and grabbed hold of one of his arms, twisting it with such force that Tirek almost was forced back down to the ground. Tirek took aim at Adam, but then Adam brought his elbow down on Tirek's outstretched arm. The centaur cried out in agony as his arm was nearly snapped in two, never noticing the fact that Black Adam was no longer right beside him.

"Shazam."

Tirek looked right towards the lightning bolt as he heard the word, but the moment he did so Adam swung his legs around and caught Tirek in the throat with a pair of golden boots. Tirek gagged and doubled over, allowing the lightning to do the rest of the work. Tirek was forced to the ground as the lightning destroyed his physical form, with only the princesses' magic keeping him alive. Black Adam smirked to himself as Tirek collapsed to the ground once the lightning had run its course and triumphantly placed a boot on his chest. He then placed his hands on his hips and held his head high.

"It is over! Tirek has fallen!"

To Adam's surprise, all of the ponies of Ponyville came out to the battlefield at his words. Celestia and the now conscious Luna were the first to gaze upon the destruction, but the ponies that followed their gaze were just as stunned. As Black Adam scanned their faces, he was once again surprised. Half of the ponies looked upon him with fear--the same fear that he had seen in their eyes the day he had killed the Elements of Harmony. But as the other half looked from the broken form of the monster that had stolen their magic to the man that stood over his broken body, their eyes were lit up with something he had not seen in nearly a year. They were full of awe and gratitude.

"Thank you...for stopping him," Celestia panted as she walked over to Black Adam, Adam noticing a number of wounds that he had not seen before. Luna looked in far worse shape than her sister, but the glare she gave him told Adam that she would live.

"What is HE doing here?" she spat as she looked at him with loathing.

"Once again, doing your job," he replied in stride. Celestia stepped between the two before they could start fighting and looked up at Adam with gratitude in her eyes as well.

"Thank you, again. Come Sister, let us return what rightfully belongs to the ponies of Equestria." Luna nodded and the two of them lowered their horns next to the broken body of Tirek, who could only glare at them as they drained their magic out of his weakened body. Then the two sisters crossed their horns and rainbow magic emerged from Tirek, a rainbow that shot into the sky and covered everyone across all of the land. Tirek shrunk back to his small and weakened state as the ponies were granted back their powers. Black Adam could see the ponies begin to celebrate as their magic returned, and for the first time in a long time, a thin smile escaped Adam's lips. Celestia looked around at all of her ponies smiling as well, before she turned back to Black Adam with hesitation in her eyes.

"Black Adam...Teth," Celestia began softly. Black Adam and Luna both looked to Celestia, who hung her head slightly. "Tirek had stolen our magic; he had beaten our forces and he was essentially the ruler of Equestria. Without you, we--" Adam placed a hand on her shoulder and when she looked up at him, he smiled slightly.

"You are welcome." Celestia smiled as well before she tackled his midsection, wrapping her wings around him to complete the hug. Black Adam looked down at her with mild confusion before he gently patted her on the back. Luna growled at the sight before she looked down at Tirek, who still hadn't moved.

"And what do we do with this one?" she asked. Celestia let go of Black Adam and all three of them looked down at Tirek, who lay on the ground breathing heavily.

"I will deal with him," Adam snarled as he reached down and grabbed Tirek by the throat, hoisting him into the air. Tirek barely put up a fight as Adam held him tightly by the throat, but despite how badly he wanted to crush the fool's windpipe...every time he was about to he would see the dead Elements flash before his eyes, and he would remember the guilt that had nearly defeated him. Adam looked into Tirek's eyes, eyes that were filled with fear, fear that he was about to die.

"No...I will not kill you," Adam whispered, causing both Celestia and Luna to look at him in disbelief. Then, Adam's face hardened and he tightened his grip. "But that does not mean that I will let you roam free and give you the chance to hurt these ponies again. Aton-Mahjarr!" A strange lightning coursed from his chest and into Tirek, who cried out once before his entire body was sealed within stone. "There," Adam said as he dropped the frozen Tirek at the hooves of the princesses. "To replace the one I broke."

"So then, what now?" Luna asked with hostility as she glared at Black Adam, who crossed his arms in response as he glared back at her. Both sets of eyes turned towards Celestia, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Let us help the ponies back to their homes and attend to any who might be wounded," Celestia sighed as she turned back to the crowd of ponies with a thin smile. "First, we make sure they're safe. Then we can talk about what we'll do with Teth."

Judgment of a God

Thousands of ponies all stood within the walls of the restored Canterlot Castle, but none of their thoughts or words were about the restoration of Canterlot or the fate of Tirek. Everypony there was having one of two thoughts: Why is Black Adam back, and what will he do now that he is?

Within the castle walls stood the very man of whom they spoke, and while he could not hear their thoughts, he was still more than close enough to hear their words, none of which instilled him with hope that they would ever accept him again.

"Why is he back? After what happened with the Elements of Harmony..."

"I can tell you why he's back. He's here to finish off the princesses and send us all into slavery!"

"But he defeated Tirek! Why would he defeat somepony who hated us unless he was trying to protect us?"

"Because there isn't enough room in Equestria for two mad rulers. And the one who is stronger would remove all competition."

"You can hear what they're saying, can't you?"

Adam didn't need to look to know who was speaking to him, the loathing and scorn in the voice instantly clued him in on who it was. "Some of them still see you as the second coming of Faust, and for the life of me I cannot figure out why! But the other half have seen and remember what you are, monster! And after what you did the last time you were here, I'd have to say they're the smarter of the groups." Normally, Adam would have verbally retaliated for the insult, but his conscious held him at bay.

'She has every right to say what she does about me,' Adam reminded himself as he gazed down at the crowd of ponies who had gathered in the castle courtyard, summoned by the word of Celestia. 'It has taken nearly a month to repair Canterlot to its former glory, but the scars run far deeper than we can repair. Their faces say that to me.'

"What's the matter, Black Adam, nothing to say for your crimes against our kind?!" Adam continued to remain silent, having heard her accusations every day that he had returned. To his moderate enjoyment, the silence he gave her seemed to infuriate the Princess of the Night more than his words ever could. Silence was all that Luna received as she continued to insult him, but the arrival of Celestia from her throne room silenced her sister.

"It is time," Celestia said with no tone. Luna nodded and walked ahead of Adam onto the balcony of the castle, giving Adam a smug look as she walked by him. After Celestia passed him, Black Adam floated behind her and onto the balcony, where his presence was met with either looks of worry or roars of hatred from the crowd.

"Murderer!"

"Give us back the Elements!"

"Throw him in the dungeon!"

Celestia cleared her throat and the shouting died down, yet the eyes of the crowd never left Black Adam, nor did the hatred in most of them. Adam wished to return the glare, but once again his conscious prevented him from doing so.

"Ponies of Equestria, you all know why we are here today!" Celestia called out in the regal voice, turning the crowds' eyes upon her. "We are here to put Teth...Black Adam...on trial." The crowd roared with approval as Celestia turned to look at Black Adam, who had no emotion in his eyes. Celestia seemed slightly unnerved by his look, but she continued without showing her unease. "Black Adam, you have been accused of the following crimes. Destruction of personal and public property. Assault. Threating another with death. And finally..."

"MURDER!" the crowd roared. Another look from the princess silenced the crowd, though Luna's smug smile grew even wider when she heard the ponies' cry.

"These, as I am sure you know, are very serious accusations," Celestia said to Black Adam. "If both my sister and myself agree on the same punishment, you could face anything from thousands of years in the dungeon to...well, I doubt that we could actually summon the strength to kill you, so I guess the death sentence is out."

"We could still try," Luna smiled wickedly as her horn glowed, but thunder rumbled overhead and everypony looked at the sky with fear in their eyes. "Alright Celestia, we have heard the accusations. Now shall we carry out the punishment?"

"Not before we give him the chance to speak in his defense." Luna gave her sister a look, but she said nothing against her. Adam could feel every eye staring at him, waiting to hear what he would say. "Alright Teth, what do you have to say about these accusations?" Black Adam's eyes looked out across the crowd. Adam purposefully ignored the wisdom of Zehuti, whose words told him what to say to get out of this situation. He needed to speak from the heart to them...tell them what he truly felt--tell them what he truly was.

"When I first regained my powers, I swore to the Princess of the Sun that I would use my powers to protect the ponies of this land, the same way I had protected my own people back on my home," Adam began with a booming voice, a voice that seemed even louder due to the absolute silence of the crowd. "And I have tried my best to do so, no matter the foe or what I had to do to achieve that goal. I have spent the last ten years believing that everything I did was for your sake, and that no cost was too high to be the protector I knew I was!" Celestia, Luna and the crowd all looked at him as he spoke with power in his voice, which for a moment, seemed to be filled with the same arrogance with which he had spoken for years. Then, Adam hung his head and his eyes lost some of the power that he had held moments before.

"But do not believe that I am so arrogant that I do not know when I have gone too far," he whispered, though his voice still carried in the dead silent courtyard. "My home, my people, were wiped out by a monster...a monster that nearly defeated me." It shouldn't have been possible, but the crowd went even quieter at those words. "In my grief, I swore revenge upon those that unleashed that monster, swearing that I would not rest until I had killed those who had been responsible and achieved justice...vengeance for my people."

"Yet that very same vengeance made me forget that I am supposed to protect the innocent, made me forget why I was given these powers in the first place. In trying to exact my vengeance, I became the very monster I sought to destroy. I have been so obsessed with vengeance that it was the only thought I cared about...and it is the reason I killed the Elements of Harmony," Adam admitted. "When they unleashed their power upon me, the Elements judged me and they deemed me guilty of atrocities...which I am more than guilty of. With their power trying to destroy me, I unleashed my magic without thought of what it would do to them, for the only thought I held was that if I fell, there was no one who would avenge my people. My desire for revenge blinded me in that crucial moment and because of it, six innocents are now dead by my hands. Yes, I am guilty of that murder and many more than I wish to admit."

"I believed myself a protector, I believed myself to have changed from the rage-fueled Adam of old...but in the end I have not changed at all. I am still driven by revenge and wrath, and because of that I have killed those who have not deserved it. I am guilty of murder, yes, but I have committed a far worse crime. I have failed all of you, those who believed me to be your protector. And I have failed the Princess, the one who believed in me more than she should have," Adam said as he turned to look at Celestia, unable to read the look on her face.

"But my words still remain true. I still wish to keep you safe, to protect you from all that would seek to harm you and your ponies. And if you believe me to be a threat to them...then judge me guilty and do what I could not. Protect them from the monster." Luna narrowed her eyes at Adam, but Celestia wore a face of confusion and uncertainty.

"You heard what he said, ponies of Equestria!" Luna roared out across the crowd as she glared at Adam with a smile. "He said to judge him as guilty and that is what I plan to do! Black Adam, for the crimes you have committed against the ponies of Equestria, I have reached the verdict that you are-"

"Did you mean to kill them?" All eyes turned to Celestia, who was looking at Black Adam with nearly emotionless eyes, but despite her best efforts to hide it, there was still a small light of a certain emotion: Hope. "Did you mean to kill Twilight and the others when they used their magic on you?"

"No...With their magic trying to destroy me, I was not able to think straight and in an act of desperation, I called down the Power of the Word to cancel out their magic," Adam admitted, but then he shook his head. "But that does not lessen what I have done. Even if I did not wish to, their blood is still on my hands. They're dead because of me." Celestia lowered her head, lost in thought for nearly a minute before she raised her head again.

"Yes, you are the one responsible for the death of the Elements of Harmony," Celestia admitted sadly, getting a smile out of Luna as she turned to face Black Adam with her horn aglow again. "But you are also responsible for stopping Discord when he tried to claim our land," she added. Both Luna and Black Adam looked at Celestia with surprise, both noticing that Celestia's face no longer had any uncertainty written on it. Instead, it looked like she had come to the hardest decision of her life. "And you also saved us from Chrysalis and her army when I was unable to do so. And just a month ago, when Tirek was running rampant across Equestria and there seemed to be no force that could stop him...you returned. And you saved us."

"Sister...what are you implying?" Luna asked, the crowd's eyes asking Celestia the same question.

"I am saying that we should not just focus on the harm that Teth has caused while he has been here," Celestia said in a strong voice, despite the looks that her sister and the ponies were giving her. "Teth is responsible for the death of the Elements of Harmony...but he has said that he did not desire to kill them. And I still remember the look on his face after the lightning bolt had descended...and I have never seen a clearer look of guilt upon a pony or human's face."

"So, it is third degree murder! He still is responsible!" Luna yelled with rage, but Celestia's eyes remained calm.

"Yes, but that changes how I will decide a punishment for him. And as I previously said, we might not even be here if it had not been for him," Celestia said in a quiet voice, but everypony could tell that she was very serious. "I will not make light of his crimes, nor will I forget what he has done for us." Celestia looked down upon all the ponies of her land, each of whom was waiting to hear what she would say.

"I have reached a verdict as well, and Black Adam...you are guilty of third degree murder, that I know for certain," Celestia said coldly, but then her gaze softened slightly. "Yet, while I know the punishment for this would be twenty years within a prison...Tirek, along with all the other foes of the past, shows me that I cannot trust my own strength whenever evil threatens my home. Yet you always come through, you always defeat the evil. And with the Elements of Harmony gone..."

"Hold on a moment, Sister! You...you cannot seriously be thinking of reinstating Black Adam as the guard of the ponies!" Luna screamed at her sister, confusion and disbelief written clean on her face.

"Not without his punishment," Celestia loudly said as she turned to face Black Adam, whose eyes were as confused as Luna's. "Black Adam, your punishment for the crimes you have committed is that you will use your powers to uphold the law, to protect the innocent and the defend those who seek to harm us WITHOUT the use of lethal force. If you are truly as powerful as you claim to be, then you should not need to kill to defeat your foes. I want you to swear by this oath."

"That is your punishment, Sister?!" Luna yelled in pure shock. "To make him swear an oath to be better than he ever could be? What is to stop him from saying that he agrees and then to break that same oath whenever it suits him best?!"

"Because he will give us his word. And Black Adam never breaks his word," she replied with absolute certainty. "Black Adam, I want your word." Black Adam looked down at the determined face of Celestia for a moment before he lowered his head and, for the first time in his life, lowered himself to one knee, barely.

"I swear that I will uphold the laws of this land. To protect the ponies in it no matter what they think of me, and to defend the land from all who seek to do it harm without having to kill. The Elements will be the last to die by my hands," he whispered with truth in his words. "So promise I, Black Adam." As he rose to his feet Celestia nodded with satisfaction before turning her gaze to her sister.

"Well, Sister? We both have to agree on the punishment for it to be official," Celestia reminded her. "Are you satisfied with the punishment?" Luna looked from Celestia to Adam, a war raging within her that she had never felt before. Then her eyes narrowed and absolute rage fought its way to her face.

"No, Sister, I am not satisfied!" Luna growled through gritted teeth as she gazed with loathing at Black Adam. "This monster deserves far worse than anything our laws say, yet once again you cover for him, make an EXCUSE for him! When he killed Discord you thought nothing of it! When he killed Chrysalis you barely batted an eye! You have always been on his side!"

"Sister, that is not true. They were threats, and while I did not condone how he protected us, I believe this punishment to be fair and--"

"No, Sister, the real reason for why you let him go so easily is because of how you feel towards him!" Luna screamed as her eyes turned white, her mane rising as magical energy flowed through her body. Black Adam placed himself between Celestia and Luna as the Princess of the Night began to rise into the air. "You have been lost ever since the death of Radiance, allowing this monster to do what he pleased because he is kind to you! A true ruler rules their emotions, not the other way around! You were never fit to rule this land, you were too soft!" Her coat began to turn a darker shade of blue as she said this, and her teeth started to grow into fangs. Adam narrowed his eyes and began to crackle with power. The sound of the lightning brought Luna to her senses and she lowered herself back down, but the hate never left her eyes.

"Very well, Sister, allow this murderer to continue to "protect" you. But you will do so without me." Luna turned away from the dumbstruck Celestia. As she said this, a dark shadow descended over the land, causing the crowd to begin to murmur with concern. "I will not stand by your side as long as you allow this murderer to run free. But if the day ever arises when you realize the true evil that he is and wish to be rid of him...only then will I stand beside you. Only when you see the true evil."

"Luna, wait!" Celestia called out, but a flash of light went off from Luna's horn that blinded all of the ponies. Through the flash, Black Adam could see Luna open a portal into darkness. She flashed one last look of loathing at Adam before she leapt through it, Adam not bothering to chase after her. The portal closed just as the ponies gained their sight back. Celestia let out a cry as she began to look around for her sister, Adam noticing the fog that had covered her eyes when Radiance had died was now once again clouding her gaze.

"That is enough for today," he called down to the ponies, who were rooted in place by what they had just witnessed. "All of you return to your homes! That is an order!" The crowd began to thin as Celestia walked off of the balcony and into the castle, barely making it ten steps before she fell to her knees and began to sob, lamenting that her sister was gone once again. Black Adam gently placed a hand upon her shoulder as she looked up at him with tear-stained eyes.

"Why, Teth? Why can't we just be a happy family?" She continued to sob as Adam retreated into his thoughts. Once again, simply his presence had made matters worse, for despite the fact that Celestia was willing to give him another chance, he had split Luna and Celestia apart again.

'And I have the feeling that I shall be finding myself as her foe now more than before,' he thought as he looked out at the darkening sky, watching as the lightning flashed in the clouds. 'In my trying to help bring the ponies peace again, I have only torn them apart that much more. Why, wizard, am I so cursed?"

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Deep within what remained of the Everfree Forest stood a broken castle, a castle that was almost as old as the princesses themselves. But if one were to look upon the castle and compare it to the smoking wreckage that used to be home to hundreds of trees and wildlife, they would wonder how it was still standing when everything else was ruined. But they would never seen the cloaked unicorns that had hidden themselves within its walls.

"...And Luna has distanced herself from her sister, saying that she will only be with her again when she realizes the evil that he truly is," a cloaked unicorn said to an elder unicorn, who was also cloaked, with the only way to tell him apart from the others being the grayish beard that was exposed under his hood. The elder unicorn thought about the news for a moment before he let out a dry chuckle.

"This could truly not be better news," he cackled slightly before turning and walking over to a circle in the center of the room, the bearer of the bad news following him as well. The circle shook as it began to lower itself deeper into the castle depths. "With the princesses at odds with each other and the return of Black Adam, nopony will pay us even the slightest attention. And as the last year has shown, it seems that those fools in Canterlot no longer care for this." The circle came to a stop in a room that the two knew well, having spent nearly a year within it.

"But won't the return of Black Adam mean that he will be able to sense when we are trying to free the sphere of destruction?" the younger one asked, but instead of a response, all the older unicorn did was chuckle as he looked upon the sphere in front of him. Six other cloaked unicorns were using their magic upon the sphere, being the only force that held the power of the sphere back.

"All we have to do is ensure that he and the princesses are far more...preoccupied with other matters than to look in on us," the elder dryly replied. "And our order is more than willing to keep the two preoccupied. First, meet with our informant in Canterlot and tell him to...tamper with the letters Celestia received. Tell him to make it seem like the other nations are now wanting to take Equestria for themselves. Then send a message to one of our agents within Luna's ranks, and instruct him to slowly implant the idea of war with her sister within her mind. Each day those two wage battle with each other is another day that we can unlock the sphere's secrets." The young one nodded as he sprinted away, leaving the elder to look upon the black sphere, which was still contained by the field.

'Yet, Black Adam does provide a problem, albeit one that can be dealt with if I can convince the monster to fight with us,' he mused to himself as he pulled out a mirror, within which he could see a darkness that was not of this reality. And just like all of the other times he gazed into the mirror, a set of red eyes looked out at him. 'Yes, you are a stubborn one, but I will find a way to convince you to join our cause.'

"Master, the shielding is barely holding. Even our strongest spellcasters can barely keep it in place," another one of the cloaked unicorns said as he knelt before the elder. The elder placed the mirror back within his cloak before he approached the cage holding the sphere once again, feeling the magic beyond anything he could cast, wash over him.

"Yes, it seems that this spell will not hold for long," he muttered after a few moments of observing the cage, never once bothering to use his magic. "Release the sphere."

"But that might be the death of us all! The sphere might consume us!" the unicorn said, but he hung his head again when the elder turned his gaze to the young one. "It would be impossible to survive!"

"No, the sphere will not destroy us, not yet. It still needs something from us," the elder said with a thin smile creasing his lips underneath the hood. "And do not speak the word 'impossible' in front of me, weak one. We are unicorns. There is nothing we cannot do."

The Empty Castle

'These indicators worn on the spine seem to communicate the wearer's health to the other members of his squad,' Adam mused as he lifted the spine-like container that was now empty. 'I suppose that it is placed there, because the wearer does not need a "life bar" to know how he is feeling.' Black Adam placed the bar down and turned his attention to the odd gun that rested beside the suit, wondering why the humans would bother to make such a confusing design.

'But that does not take away its effectiveness. Three barrels; three times the fire power,' Adam concluded as he took aim with the gun, observing with interest the four blue lines that showed him where he was aiming. 'These would give away the element of surprise, but they give a very clear idea as to where one would be shooting. Intriguing.' He placed the gun down on the table before him and picked up the two items that had been the most interesting.

'One of these items grants telekinesis. The other can slow down whatever is struck with its energy. According to what Celestia was willing to share with me, that is what prevented her from rescuing Radiance. She had been struck by this energy.' Adam placed those down as he turned his attention to the other items that he observed: The collapsible helmet, the jet boots and the small oxygen tank. 'Despite the harm that these weapons have, if I could figure out how to refit them...'

"Will you please quit staring at me?" he asked the guards who stood in the laboratory door behind him. He had felt their gaze burn into the back of his skull for nearly an hour, and it was starting to annoy him to no end. The two guards spun around and took up their posts again, but it wasn't long before he felt their eyes on him again. The sound of running hooves could be heard and another guard rushed down the stairs to the lab, skidding to a stop outside of the door, not daring to enter. "What is it? A monster? Luna?"

"Actually, Black Adam, Celestia is requesting your presence," the guard relayed as Adam raised an eyebrow at him. "Shining Armor is there as well and he does not look happy. They...request to see you now." Adam sighed and stood straight up before walking out of the room, ignoring what looks he assumed the ponies would be giving him as he passed. "Just...just so you know, Sir, not everypony in this castle hates you." Adam came to a stop halfway up the stairwell, waiting for the pony to continue what he had been saying.

"We know that nearly all of the ponies in the land feel that you are a monster for what you did, but..."

"The Royal Canterlot Guard still remember what you've done for us," one of the large guards who had been watching him said with a stoic voice. "Like the day when the changelings attacked. We were useless that day, and we were certain that Equestria was going to fall. But then you showed up and beat the changelings and killed their queen. And we haven't had a problem since."

"Not to mention we all thought we were dead when Tirek showed up," the other guard said with a dry chuckle as he looked down at the floor. "Here we are, supposedly the best of the best, and we were nothing...no, less than nothing to him. He walked through us without so much as a second glance and took down the princesses. And then you showed up, in a flash of lightning."

"My...foal was in the city when Tirek attacked it," the gruff guard added as he looked away. "I thought he had been evacuated, but when I got down to Ponyville, I found out that he had gotten separated and wasn't there. I was hysterical, believing that he was gone for good, before we all watched as you brought Tirek down. Afterwards, I found my foal. He told me how you took an attack that destroyed the Everfree Forest for them, before helping them to escape...and I wanted to thank you."

"Not to mention, you single-handedly prevented a war with the griffons from happening," the guard who had delivered the message continued. "We can't handle griffons, they're far too strong and fast for most of the normal guard. But thanks to you, we never even had to fight them. You ended a life-long war with the changelings within an hour. And you stopped the unstoppable and sealed him within stone when you brought down Tirek."

"So why are you telling me this?" Adam eventually asked them.

"We wanted to let you know what we think of you...and to tell you that most of the guard think along the same lines as us," the gruff one said. "We know that what happened with the Elements was an accident...and all of us owe you our lives many times over. We just wanted you to know that despite whatever the ponies out there think of you, the Royal Guard stands behind you. All of us." Adam turned his head as he heard their words, smiling slightly.

"What are your names?"

"I'm Fleethoof," the messenger said.

"Stonewall," the gruff one growled.

"Starlight," the final one said.

"Thank you all for your words." Adam headed to the throne room after saying this, noticing that the guards' words rang true, because he could see respect in most of the palace guards' eyes as he passed them. He cast the doors to the throne room open to see Celestia and Shining talking amongst themselves, with the royal advisor Willow and his protégé beside him. Their talking ceased when Adam walked in.

"Teth, I'm glad that you came here so quickly," Celestia said with a small smile, but the air in the room told Adam that it was a forced smile. The look he got when he turned his gaze to Shining Armor confirmed his suspicions.

"Whatever you have heard is false. I have not been out of the laboratory today until you called for me," Adam said before they could begin accusing him, but Celestia giggled slightly at his response.

"No, you're not in trouble...well, not entirely. The reason I have asked you here is that..." Celestia stopped talking as Shining Armor stepped forward, looking at Adam with both rage and hesitation in his eyes.

"I haven't just asked you here Adam, I've asked a number of guards as well," Shining began as he motioned around at all of the guards who were looking on in interest. "The reason for this meeting is...I am retiring as Captain of the Royal Guard." The guards wore the shock these words had on their faces, but Adam waited for Shining to continue, knowing that there had to be more. "The reason for my sudden retirement...is you Black Adam."

"I assumed as much," Adam muttered. 'I killed your sister. You must feel the same hatred for me that I feel for those who took my family.'

"You killed my sister a year ago, and ever since then I haven't been able to forgive you," Shining began, emotion filling up his voice. "I wanted nothing more than to bring you to justice myself. I will always hate you for killing her. But at the same time...I still owe you my life. You saved both me and my wife when the griffons attacked a year ago. So that is why I have decided to quit. Because I cannot bring myself to work with you...but I cannot fight against you. Now, I will head to the Crystal Empire and live alongside Cadence for the rest of my life," Shining choked out as he took off his captain's helmet and placed it on the floor.

"I wish you well, Shining," Celestia softly said. Shining nodded with gratitude before he turned and walked towards the door, his head held high as he walked past the guards he used to command, all of whom weren't sure whether they should salute or be angry at him. Adam decided for them.

"Guards."

All eyes turned towards Black Adam and even Shining stopped walking, but he never turned around. "Your Captain is choosing to leave with dignity and honor given an impossible choice. You should show him the same respect that he has shown his position." These words did cause Shining to look behind him at Black Adam, while the guards began to stomp their hooves on the floor to applaud, giving him the thinnest of smiles.

Shining turned and once again began to walk towards the exit, saying one last thing to his ponies before he left. "If...I don't come back to visit, it's not because I don't care about you. It would just be...too painful." He left with his head high, the ponies watching him until he turned a corner at the end of the corridor.

"What now, Princess?" one of the guards asked Celestia, breaking the silence.

"We must find a new Captain of the Guard," Celestia sighed as she picked up Shining's helmet, looking at it for a moment with sadness before she used her magic to remove his symbol from it. "But that is a task that will take a while. Guards, I want you to talk amongst yourselves and decide who you think would be a suitable replacement. That is all. You may all go. Teth, you stay." The guards left the room, leaving the princess alone with Black Adam.

"I take it there is trouble?" Adam asked her, Celestia nodding as she pulled out a letter that was far bigger than a normal one.

"This is from the king of the dragons, Firewing, who has requested that I come to visit his nation so we can...negotiate something," Celestia bitterly said as she crumpled up the letter. "That can only mean that he is considering war with us or that he wants something. Those are generally the only times dragons speak with ponies."

"Did those fools not hear what I did to the griffons?" Black Adam said with a shake of his head.

"Dragons are naturally resistant to magic, though I do not think their defenses could stop your spells," Celestia said as she stood up. "But that does not matter now. Teth, I want you to stay here while I head to the Dragon Empire."

"You cannot be serious," Black Adam half-laughed. "You said it yourself, that the dragons only wish for war or spoils and yet you wish to travel to their nation by yourself? No, Celestia, I will come with you and make sure that they understand that they will awaken the monster if they seek war with the ponies." For a brief moment, gratitude flashed in Celestia's eyes before she turned away.

"Very well, but you must get ready quickly. We will leave within the hour." Black Adam nodded as she left the room, before he turned as well and headed out through the main doors. He was just beginning to plan out his actions for when the talks turned violent, when a large number of guards laughing outside of a room gained his attention. They parted as he approached and as he looked into the room, he wondered why they were all bunched around the weight room.

"For the sake of Amon."

Inside of the weight room was one very crushed purple and green dragon, who was trying to lift a barbell that Adam assumed weighed more than he did. And from the bruises that covered his body, he knew this was not the first time that he had tried this foolish action. With a huge effort, Spike lifted the barbell over his head and for a moment a look of triumph shone on his face, before his arms gave out and the barbell crushed him beneath its weight. The guards outside of the room began laughing again, while Black Adam shook his head and walked over to the dragon.

"What are you doing?" Adam asked the crushed dragon while he reached down and flicked the barbell off him, sending it through the wall. Spike pushed himself back up and gently brushed himself off, before walking over to more weight equipment. Spike picked up a squat bar and lifted that over his head, his knees beginning to shake before Adam took that as well. "This is not happening. Why are you so determined to crush yourself beneath these objects?"

"None of your business," Spike grumbled while wincing with pain, both physical and emotional.

"Leave," Adam said to the guards who were watching, and they obeyed him without so much as a look. Once they were all gone, Adam picked up Spike and placed him on a chair, crossing his arms to tell the young dragon that he wasn't going anywhere until he talked. "It is my business to make sure that all are safe. Now speak."

"Fine, jeeze," Spike grumbled before his face fell a bit. "I'm...trying to make myself stronger."

"Dragons get stronger the more they are crushed?"

Spike rolled his eyes at the attempt of a joke. "No, I was trying to lift weights, build myself up...become stronger." Adam watched his eyes and he could see the tears Spike was trying to fight back, making Adam all the more interested.

"Why do you wish to be stronger?"

"Because...I couldn't save her," Spike whispered weakly, but Adam's eyes widened slightly at the words. "On that day when the other humans showed up, I was inside, re-arranging the books in Radiance's room. I didn't know what had happened until Celestia brought Radiance back into the castle." Spike rubbed his eyes on his arm, Adam saying nothing as the dragon regained control of himself. "I keep thinking, 'if I wasn't a baby dragon, if I was as strong as you, then maybe I could have helped her! Protected her!' She was my only friend and now...she's gone." Spike broke down and sobbed bitterly at this point, while Adam thought silently to himself.

"You wish to become strong, so you can protect others, correct?" Adam asked Spike, who nodded slowly. "Very well, then. Shazam." Spike cried out as a little of Black Adam's lightning went into him. The pain stopped as quickly as it began, and it left Spike looking down at himself with confusion. "You wished to be stronger and now I will help you. My magic will help you grow faster, stronger. But you will have to push yourself harder than before."

"I...I can do that," Spike growled with fire in his eyes. "But why help me?"

"I know what it is like to be powerless when those you care for need you," Black Adam said as he turned to leave the room, looking back over his shoulder at the young dragon with a thin smile. "But you need not worry about that any longer. I will help you to become Spike, to help protect." Spike looked down at his claws as Adam left, clenching them with a look of determination on his face as lightning crackled in his eyes.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

'It is incredible just how diverse the landscape of this world is,' Adam mused silently as he and Celestia flew side by side across the land below, said land being gray and filled with cracks. Within the cracks were streams of lava, all of which came from the multiple volcanoes that towered over the land. Celestia had a barrier around herself to defend against the intense heat and the gases from the volcano, but Adam had not felt the heat or cold in a lifetime. He could handle it. The three hour flight on the other hand...

"I am surprised that they have not tried to kill us yet," Black Adam called over to Celestia, who rolled her eyes at him.

"I highly doubt they would want to kill us right off the bat, but it is odd that they have not sent a dragon to meet us yet. Normally, they do not trust ponies traveling across their land without an escort," Celestia said before chuckling to herself. "Of course, by escort I mean a warrior who would sooner eat us than help us. That will be their palace right up ahead."

The palace was everything Black Adam expected the palace to be. It was crafted by what his eyes made out to be bricks made of metal and the castle rose high over the land, reflecting like a fire from the red lava that surrounded it. Spiked towers stood on each side, observing every avenue of approach. It was also far larger than any castle to which he had ever visited, but after seeing what full grown dragons looked like, he supposed it was for them.

The two of them landed at the front of the large gate, Celestia prancing in place slightly to keep her hooves off of the hot ground. "Shouldn't the gates have already been raised for our arrival? They sent the message to us; you think they would have had the decency to open the gate for us."

"Keep it down, Teth, remember that we are on their territory," Celestia whispered to him, but all Adam did was smirk in response.

"And remember who you are talking to. I have not yet fought a living dragon, but I would not hesitate if given the chance." Celestia rolled her eyes at his response, but she regained her regal composure as the gates slowly began to open. When they were a third of the way up the stairs, the two walked inside of the castle, easily making it within.

The castle was far more red on the inside than it was on the outside, which was saying something because the outside was surrounded by lava. Large hallways went in every direction from the main room, and numerous scales and claws covered the walls. 'Most likely parts of their fallen foes,' Adam pondered as Celestia looked around for a dragon. 'But for such a large castle, it seems to be fairly barren.' Celestia tapped Adam with her wing and motioned for her to follow him.

"I do not like this," Celestia muttered aloud as the two of them walked through the nearly empty corridors alone. "There were always at least a dozen dragons watching at all times whenever I came here before. But now it is completely deserted." Adam closed his eyes and allowed his senses to travel farther than the room they were in, confirming a suspicion.

"Not entirely abandoned. Come with me," Adam instructed as he turned left down a corridor.

"Teth, the throne room is this way," she said, but Adam continued to move as if he hadn't heard her. With a sigh she ran up beside him. "Teth, I know these dragons and they keep all of their loot in the throne room. Trust me when I say there is no way in Tartarus that they would just leave--"

"It is abandoned," Adam cut in. "I tried sensing the odd magic that dragons give off, and I have found this place to be completely abandoned. Except for one dragon that seems to have been left behind." Celestia looked shocked at the news, but Adam pushed ahead until the pair came to a stop outside of two large metal doors.

"Maybe there is a key? Or I can try to use my magic to--" Adam cut her off once again by lifting one leg and kicking both doors in with a single strike, walking past the torn hinges without a word. "Or we can do that." Adam looked around the large room with narrowed eyes, knowing that he had sensed the dragon in here. But all he saw were some pots and a number of piles of treasure that he assumed the dragons slept on.

"I will only say this once! Come out or I will wipe this castle off the face of the map!" Adam threatened, Celestia giving him a look before she stepped in to stop him. Black Adam raised his hands over his head as lightning crackled in them, but before either could act, a voice was heard.

"Stop! Wait!" A small dragon, roughly around the same size as Black Adam, walked out from behind a number of pots, holding the broom in his hands with a death grip. His eyes were filled with fear as they looked at the two while the two looked at him, one with rage and the other with confusion.

"Why are you the only dragon here?" Celestia asked.

"Where are the other dragons?" Adam asked in a darker tone. Adam was upon him when the dragon failed to responded and the small dragon found himself lifted off of the floor as Black Adam slowly crushed his throat. "I will not ask you again, where are the-?"

"Put him down Teth, he's no good to us dead," Celestia ordered, Adam scowling at the dragon before throwing him onto the flagstones. The dragon curled into a ball as both Celestia and Black Adam stared down at him. "I am not going to hurt you, and if you don't want him to hurt you, then I suggest you answer his question. Where are the dragons?"

"O-our king, Firewing, knew that if he sent you that letter, then both you and your pet...CHAMPION!" the dragon yelled as Adam crushed his tail with his foot. "Would come here almost immediately! So he took every dragon that he had and went the long way to Canterlot, knowing that you two would be here by the time he showed up in Canterlot!" Both Celestia and Black Adam looked at each other with horror in their eyes.

"Damn it all!" Adam roared as he turned to take off into the sky, but Celestia grabbed him with her magic before he could.

"Teth, if Firewing has taken every dragon that he has, then they could be in the thousands," Celestia began.

"That means little to me," Adam growled as he started to turn away, but Celestia held him back.

"Teth...keep my ponies safe," she whispered. "But also...please don't kill any of the dragons, unless you have no choice." Adam looked at her for a long moment before he slowly nodded his head. Celestia released him and he shot through the ceiling of the castle, heading back towards Canterlot. It had taken the two of them three hours to fly to the dragons at Celestia's pace. It took him only seconds to get back. But he did not need super-sight to know what was happening at Canterlot.

The walls of fire told him everything he needed to know.

But, he also knew that the burning buildings would not be the only things reduced to ash at the end of the day...

King of the Dragons

'I must contain the fire,' Adam thought to himself as he rocketed into the sky, clasping his hands together as magic words rolled off his tongue. Thunderclouds began to rumble overhead, yet that was all the time Adam could devote to the magic as six dragons rampaged through the burning city. They were the only dragons there at the moment, but Adam knew that he did not have long until the others showed up as well. "Not on my watch!" Adam tore through the sky, and then tore through the wing of one of the dragons. The pale green dragon roared in pain before a fist to his jaw silenced him. Adam broke the dragon's leg with ease and brought back his fist to finish the job, when thousands of roars all sounded at once.

"How many are there?" Black Adam growled as he turned his gaze to the thundering sky, rage filling his heart as he saw thousands of dragons emerge from the clouds, all of them unleashing their fire upon the city below. A cry for help brought Adam back to the battle at hand, and he swiftly threw himself at the other five dragons, tearing through them as if they were paper. None of his blows were fatal, but he made sure that they would not be getting up for a long time as he tore the wings off of a black beast.

"T-thank you, Black Adam," the ponies he saved tried to stammer to him, but he was already too far away to hear their words. Rocketing himself into the sky, he clasped his hands again and finished the spell he had begun earlier.

"Aton-Vahar!" Lightning tore open the clouds and a torrent of rain cascaded down upon the burning capital of Equestria. 'That will have to do for the fire, for now...' he began as he turned his gaze skyward, towards the thousands of dragons that were now flying above the city. 'I deal with you!' Lightning flew from the tips of his fingers into the beasts of fire, but although one or two fell to the power, Adam found himself quickly consumed by their might. A massive blue dragon slammed itself into him and both crashed into the burning streets below.

"Be gone fool!" Adam yelled as he swatted the massive dragon away, sending the snarling beast crashing through a burned building. Adam snarled as he turned to engage the other dragons before flames began to engulf him. The dragon that he had swatted away had arisen again, and it unleashed its hellish fury upon Adam. But the hellish fire meant little to one who was a god. "You wish to fight to the end? Then allow me to end this!" The dragon roared as it brought both clawed hands down upon Adam, but in response Adam tightened his grip upon the fists before tearing them off of the dragon's body. A quick knee to the face put the beast down and gave Adam a moment to look around at the destruction.

"Celestia shall never get here in time to aid me in this. The one time I wish for Luna to be here, and she is gone," he grumbled before more cries garnered his attention. Adam flew to the cries for help in the center of the city and kicked the dragon there in the head, tearing the beast's jaw off as it fell to the ground. Adam landed next to the ponies in the dragon's blood before he frowned at the sight of the charred remains of a guard laying before him. "Are you alright?" he asked the three ponies.

"What's happening?" they asked with fear. Black Adam opened his mouth to answer before another dragon landed on the ground beside him, striking him in the back with its tail. Adam was sent skyward by the force of the blow, but if the dragon thought that blow would hurt Adam, then the blow with which Adam retaliated nearly took the dragon's head from its shoulders. The three ponies watched with disbelief as the dragon sailed over the edge of the city and down to the ground far below.

"Flee to whatever shelter you can find and stay there until I have dealt with this," Adam ordered, the ponies nodding dumbly as they fled through the streets. Adam turned his gaze upon the burning town, seeing the bodies of those he had been too late to save, those he had failed once again. And as the image of the burned Elements of Harmony flashed through his mind, Black Adam felt his resolve steel once again. "There has been enough death for today. Time to end this!"

Black Adam thrust his hands into the sky, incanting words that had been all but forgotten by the human race except for a few chosen souls. Power rumbled through the air, a rumbling that was followed by hundreds of strikes of lightning that threw themselves down from the heavens and into the dragons that flew around the burning city. His promise to Celestia remained strong though, and as he watched the dragons fall from the sky he could see that none of them had been struck from this world by his power. Yet despite being struck down by the lightning, to Adam's bafflement the dragons began to get up.

"What are you doing?" he roared with rage and disbelief as he grabbed a dragon by the throat, preventing it from breathing its fire upon the ponies that it had landed by. "You have lost! You have been struck down! Now stay down!" he snarled as he drove the dragon face first into the street, finishing the beast by driving his boot into its spine. The sound of bone breaking told Adam that this fight was over, but once again his eyes grew large as the dragon began to pull itself forward, trying to unleash its fire once again upon the innocent.

"You! Have! Fallen!" Adam screamed as he snapped the spine in half before kicking the dragon over, glaring into its eyes with a fury that could have cowed any superhero. Yet there was no fear in the dragon's eyes, only the sight of unyielding faith in what it believed. "Why do you continue to fight this battle? I have broken you! Stay down!"

"As long...as my king requires me to fight...I shall fight," the dragon weakly spit out as it tried to move. "The word of the king...shapes the world itself." Black Adam looked down at the broken beast within his grasp with both understanding and loathing.

'They fight as long as their king commands it. They may not all wish for this fight,' he deduced as he looked around at all of the burning and death. 'All of this death, all of the pain is on the head of one individual! And the only way to stop this fight...is to bring down the king himself!' He tossed the broken dragon over the edge of the city before throwing himself towards the sky, giving himself a moment to look down towards the city to see that the rain was helping with the fire. And with the lightning having brought so many dragons to their knees, the guards were doing a far better job of holding them at bay. But that was all Adam could see before he burst through the cloud cover and into the true storm.

'This must be the full extent of their forces.' Adam's eyes narrowed as he gazed upon the thousands of dragons that were flying above the clouds, waiting for the whim of their king to send them into battle, to send them in to wipe out hundreds of lives. Black Adam could see fear in some of the dragons' eyes, yet the only dragon he was interested in looked upon him as if he were nothing more than an insect. "You. You are the king."

"Indeed I am!" Firewing roared to the skies, his voice forcing all of the dragons around him to lower their heads in respect.

"Then cease this attack upon the ponies or I shall only tear you in half," Black Adam snarled, yet to his annoyance the king laughed at his words and he flew towards Adam. Adam's eyes quickly looked over the king, who was far larger than any of the other dragons that had fallen that day. He was also covered in scars, but there was only arrogance in the monster's eyes.

"And why should I listen to a worm." Thunder rumbled at his choice of words, but Adam waited to unleash his fury. "For far too long, the ponies have believed themselves to be the superior race because they can use magic, because they can move the clouds at their whim! But now I will show them what true power is! The power of those who truly rule the skies!"

"You are slaughtering innocents...all to show that you are superior?" Adam asked aghast, both at the words of the king and also the memories of when he had done the same. "And all of you stand with this madman?!" he asked the dragons, all of whom avoided his gaze.

"The strong take what they want from the weak. That is how the world has always worked," Firewing chuckled as he motioned to all of the dragons around him. "And the weak obey the strong. For so long as I am king, these dragons will fight to the death for me, even if it means sending them against you. Now my legion, destroy this fool!" The hundreds of dragons let loose their cries as they flung themselves at Adam, but his sights were only set on the king before him, the king that was willing to let his subjects die with no concern for their lives. And it infuriated him.

With a burst of speed that put Hermes to shame, Black Adam tore past the dragons, the sheer force of his speed knocking them out of the air as he drove himself into the king. He drove the both of them towards the ground with enough force to blow the clouds away as they crashed in the land far below the kingdom, where Adam could fight without fear of harming others.

"Prepare yourself, tyrant, for you shall join the other fools in death," Black Adam snarled as he flung himself towards Firewing. Firewing let out a laugh as he flapped his mighty wings, the gust from them catching Adam by surprise and blowing him back, but only for a moment. Black Adam planted his feet into the dirt before kicking off, the power in his legs able to overcome the gust created by the king. He followed the kick off by driving his fist into Firewing's chest and summoned his power to send electricity through the dragon. Firewing staggered to his knees, but retained his smile.

"Not bad, false god, but you do not know what I am capable of!" Blue fire spewed from the king's mouth and it engulfed both Black Adam and the surrounding area. Firewing began to chuckle at his assured victory, but then Adam burst from the flames, his body still on fire as he tackled the king with wrath.

"You shame your rulers before you!" Adam roared as he threw his fist into the gut of Firewing, who tore through the ground before colliding with the side of the mountain that held up Canterlot. Firewing forced himself back up again, and he threw himself at Black Adam with a roar. Adam sneered as he caught Firewing with a foot to his face before he drove the dragon to the ground, holding him there with his boot. "A true ruler lives for the sake of his people!"

"Then let's see how well you can rule without a people! Destroy all of Canterlot!" Firewing roared up to the other dragons, who roared in response before they descended upon the city, unleashing their fires upon the city and once again setting it ablaze. His laugh of victory was cut short when Adam drove his knee into the king's face, bringing the dragon to his knees.

"Enough of this pointless destruction!" Adam roared as he grabbed the king by the throat, nearly tearing his head off then and there. "Call off the dragons! This battle does not need to happen!"

"Fool...they...live for the king," Firewing coughed with a smile. "They will...follow my orders...until the day I die."

"End this battle. Do not make me end it," Adam whispered.

"Never," Firewing spat back. A cold wave seemed to wash through Firewing's body as Black Adam gazed into his eyes, almost as if he were gazing into the dragon's dark soul. Then his eyes narrowed and Firewing felt the hand holding his throat tighten.

"I am going to ask one last time. Do not make me do this," Adam whispered with rage, both at what had been done...and what he had to do. The dragon cackled before shutting his mouth, cementing his fate. "You are right, they will not stop...till the day you die." Firewing's eyes widened in horror as black Adam dragged him into the sky, taking him to the center of Canterlot where nearly all of the dragons were attacking.

"Dragons! Behold the king you fight for!" Adam felt all eyes turn towards him, and when they did, he acted. With the power of the gods flowing through him, he raised the king over his head...before tearing the dragon clean in half. Silence fell over the battlefield as Adam threw down the body of the king to the ground, Firewing got out one last weak cough as Adam prepared to summon the word. Then he remembered his promise to Celestia and scowled as he looked down at the dragon.

"Count yourself lucky worm. You shall live. NARK DER MOTORO!"

Divine power descended for all to see, striking the dragon king square in the chest. A cry never escaped his mouth as the lightning made him vanish into thin air, leaving Adam to roar into the sky, "FIREWING HAS FALLEN AND I AM THE ONE WHO SLAYED HIM! I AM NOW YOUR KING!" The dragons and the ponies all looked towards Adam with fear in their eyes while lightning erupted beside him, causing his body to glow with godly power.

"You will never be my king!" one dragon stepped forward to say. "I would rather--" A blast of lightning tore through the dragon, forcing him to the ground in pain. Black Adam then pointed his hand towards all the others, daring one of them to act. Then, one after another, the dragons began to bow to him until all of the dragon nation was bowing.

The ponies of the city looked on at the scene with shock and awe, not sure what they were seeing. In the center of the burned and rainswept town stood Black Adam, with lightning flashing behind him while all of the dragons bowed at his feet. Some ponies felt safe looking upon the scene, believing that Adam had protected them. Others were afraid, for if he could make the dragons bow, then who could stop him if he turned on them?

"What is your first command, oh king?" one of the dragons bowing before him asked as Black Adam turned to face him.

"This fight is over. Take those who have fallen or are injured and return to your nation," Black Adam ordered, waiting for one of them to disobey him or speak out. It never came. "Those who remain will help to extinguish the fires and help rescue those who are trapped. This is an order." The dragons bowed once again before they began to carry out his instructions.

'This...reminds me of the days of old,' Adam silently thought to himself as he watched the dragons begin to help out along with whatever remained of the Royal Guard. 'Being feared, being a ruler of a land. This...is what I was born to be. So why do I feel so...ashamed?'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

As doctors and nurses ran past him to help those who had been injured in the dragon attack, Black Adam realized how little he came to the hospital, not for himself, but for to see those that he had failed to protect. And today the hospital was filled with those he had not saved in time. Most of them were guards, with a number of citizens thrown in, but what position they held didn't matter to him. He needed to let them know that he hadn't abandoned them.

"It means a lot to fillies like her that you come here and do this," nurse Redheart said to Black Adam once he had finished visiting with a small filly who had been caught in the battle. "A lot of ponies have come to hate you because of the Elements...but many of us still see you as a protector, and last week you proved that again."

"If only I could have protected them all," Black Adam bitterly responded as his eyes looked upon the burned, wounded or dying with pain.

"But now, with you as king of the dragons, we will never have to worry about them hurting us ever again," Nurse Redheart said with a small smile.

"I am only the king for now. Soon I will speak with them about electing a new leader to replace me. I only took up the position to cease their attack," Adam responded, but nurse Redheart shook her head.

"From what I learned about dragons, they only follow those that they consider to be the strongest. And no dragon is stronger than you." Black Adam wished to argue the point, but he knew that her words rang clear with truth. There was no being in the land that was stronger than he was...in any way. A familiar bedridden pony caught Adam's eye, and he excused himself before walking over to whom he had spotted.

"Laying down on the job, Stonewall?" Black Adam asked the heavily casted stallion, who smirked in response as he looked at his badly damaged self.

"You should have seen the dragon. They took him home in a soup can," Stonewall chuckled before pain seized his body. After a moment he regained his composure, but he looked far paler than before. "Once again, we all owe our lives to you, friend. Without you the entire city...hell, the entire country...would have been burned to the ground. Glad that you came back."

"Not all of you owe me your lives," Black Adam whispered. "How many of your brethren fell in battle today because I could not protect them?"

"How many of us would have fallen had you not been here and killed that damned fool of a leader?" Stonewall grunted back with a smirk. "As fast and strong as you are, you can't always be there to protect us all the time. Don't worry about us, Black Adam, the Royal Guard can be beaten but we won't be broken." A doctor walked over and meekly asked Adam to let the patient rest. Adam nodded to Stonewall one last time before he floated out of an open window, his mind focusing on what Stonewall had just said to him.

'He is right. Even with my godly powers, I cannot always be there for the Guard or the ponies I have sworn to protect,' he silently mused as he came to a stop far above the ground, where he crossed his legs and closed his eyes, calling upon the wisdom of Zehuti to figure out a solution to this problem. He opened his mind and found himself standing within a library filled with information, the wisdom and knowledge left to him by Zehuti.

Since the library was within his mind, it was created to remind him of the one that he had back in his palace in Kahndaq. Massive pillars held up the hundreds of floors worth of knowledge, while every shelf was filled to the brim with the knowledge of the gods, knowledge that he now needed to discover a solution to his problem.

'My first thought is to transfer a portion of my own magical might to the guard, but then I am left with the same problem I had on Earth. What would keep them from using that same power against me?' He mused as he reached for a book, but then he cast that line of thought aside and instead turned his focus to the guards' weapons and equipment. 'Their standard armor and weapons might be effective against ponies, but they rarely seem to fight ponies with it. They fight ungodly beings that they cannot hope to defeat with their pathetic tools. Upgrades to their armor are a must, but how?'

'It might be possible to find a metal that Celestia has mentioned before deep within the Diamond Dogs' burrows, but there might only be the smallest amount.' He pulled another book off his mental shelf and looked up enchantments, both for weapons and armor. 'Enchanting their equipment seems to be the easier option, yet if I had to do it for every guard, then I would be severely stripped of my usual power. That cannot work,' he decided as he placed the book back. 'Upgrading their armor seems to be the only way, but how-?'

'The humans.' His mind spun off in a different direction, and he pulled up books of the humans and the armor they wore, along with the weaponry and the strange gadgets that they had brought with them. 'Celestia herself mentioned how even she was powerless against the time gadget, and how her magic had barely held against their firearms. If I could somehow find a way to recreate the armor and make it to fit the ponies...but that is outside of my grasp. And none of the ponies would be even close to understanding the kind of technology the humans have. Then how...?'

Against his intentions the library spun again and he found a single book floating before him. He reached out and took it within his grasp, but the moment he looked at the cover he sneered and threw it onto the ground, before shaking his head. 'No, I shall not go there. I am not ready to return just yet. But if I cannot find another solution, then I shall return...and show him what I have discovered.' Adam prepared to enter reality once more, but before he did so he looked down one last time at the book that lay at his feet. A book called "Luthor."

'If I were to ask for your assistance, then you would require me to do something for you. And I am sure that whatever it is my old self would be fine with, but I am not the old me,' Adam silently thought as he closed his eyes. 'I will have to barter with you and if I am to do so, then I will need an item of equal worth to the task I ask. He will not do so otherwise, and any attempt at force may be discovered by the heroes. And I am not ready to face them yet.'

"But now I have another task to attend to," Black Adam muttered as he opened his eyes. He then turned his head towards the setting sun and knew that Celestia must have returned. "First, I must speak with Celestia about my idea and tell her that Firewing still lives. Then...I must go speak with my new kingdom."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Far away, in a region of Equis that few knew existed, a single lightning bolt came down from the sky and struck and empty hollow. When the lightning ceased, all that could be seen in the hollow was a dragon, a dragon that had been ripped in half. Yet the lightning that now ran through it would keep it alive, but only just. But for the man that sent the dragon there, it was a fitting place for a worm to crawl.

Author's Note

Took a couple of liberties with the wisdom of Zehuti, but I think it works.

Transcending Reality

"This is definitely the area." Down below Black Adam was the land that he had been sent to investigate, and from what he could see from above the ponies here needed his help. Carrots grew nearly five times larger than what they were supposed to do and the land gave off an eerie green and gold color, something that was unnatural, even for the ponies. "Once again Celestia, you are correct."

'The land has normally been fine, but a few months ago a strange radiation has started to pollute the land,' Celestia had briefly informed him before sending him out. 'The area is home to a meteor that crashed there centuries ago, but it never caused any problems. That was until the Diamond Dogs in the area stole the meteor and brought it to their underground home. I want you to find out how they are connected to the recent radiation poisonings that have been affecting the ponies.'

'She has been working without sleep for days after the attack by Firewing,' Adam thought silently to himself while he descended upon the small farmlands, gaining the attention of all the ponies in the area. He should count himself lucky that I spared him, but if he tries anything again I will not be so kind.'

"Greetings. I am here to deal with the Diamond Dog problem that seems to be affecting your home."

"T-thank you kindly Mr. Adam," one of the elder farmers stammered out as he started to bow, but a growl from Black Adam stopped him from doing so. "But we don't really care about the dogs so much as we do the radiation that is affecting our land. If we can't grow our crops, then we can't provide our families with food. And any pony that tries to eat the food that has been...contaminated becomes sick for days on end. Please do something about our crops first!"

Adam narrowed his eyes for a brief moment, wanting simply to deal with the dogs and leave, but as his eyes passed over the starving families and the hungry eyes of their children, he could not bring himself to say no. "Lead me to your crops," he replied. The ponies all began to thank him as the eldest farmer led Black Adam to the carrot fields, allowing Black Adam to confirm up close what he had seen from the sky.

'It is as I thought. Whatever radiation was within that meteor has greatly affected these crops.' The ponies came to a stop at the edge of the field, none of them wanting to enter into the contaminated area. Black Adam went on ahead, knowing that his godly powers would protected him from the radiation. 'But why now?' he silently asked himself as he plucked one of the carrots out of the ground, eyes narrowing as he saw green veins running through it. 'Celestia informed me that this meteor was here before the ponies and never once bothered them. Why does it bother them now?'

"Can you do anything?" Adam snapped out of his thoughts and lifted the carrot into the air so the ponies could see it, a frown on his face.

"I do not know if I can remove the radiation from your field with my magic, but what I can do is go down into the Diamond Dogs' lair and see what the cause of this radiation poisoning is,' he called out to them before dropping the carrot to the ground. He then leapt into the air and drove himself towards the field, ploughing straight through it, feet first. He had barely gone that far beneath the ground before he burst through a ceiling and found himself within an underground tunnel.

"The Diamond Dog tunnels. I have heard of these," he muttered to himself as he silently began to fly down the corridor, reaching a larger chamber within moments. "And this is your home." There were multiple huts that all surrounded a larger one in the center, while a number of mine carts filled with gems lay off to the side. Adam could see a large number of Diamond Dogs within the room, but no sign of the meteor that they had taken. But he did spy a number of sickly dogs all lying around in a large pile. 'Time for some answers.'

"Dogs." A large barking frenzy started the moment Adam's voice reached their ears, but the dogs all fell silent when they turned their eyes to see who had spoken. Their ears went flat and all of the dogs pushed themselves as far to the ground as they could, fear in all of their eyes as Adam descended to the ground with thunder rumbling in the caves. "What have you done with the meteor that you have stolen from the surface? Why did you contaminate the ponies' fields?"

"We no do anything! We just bring shiny rock down here!" one of them whimpered. Now that Adam had found the talkative one, he flew over to him and lifted him up by the throat.

"What happened to the meteor?" Adam asked.

"W-we brought it further into the cave! It was so shiny, we wondered if there was more shiny on the inside, maybe some gems!" the dog barked out as both of its paws held onto Adam's wrists for dear life. "And inside were gems we'd never seen before, gems that were greener than emeralds! We all took some and spread them around the pack! But then after a few days, pack begin to get sick and some soon die! We then lock away all the shiny, but the death continue! Please, help us!"

Adam's eyes narrowed as he looked at the dog, but a quick glance of the other animals confirmed his story. The dogs looked even sicker than the ponies above, and Adam surmised that it was the same radiation that was killing them. His eyes then narrowed when he spotted a pile of the dead in one corner, with many young pups lying within it.

"Where is it?" Adam asked again and the dog pointed to a sealed-off room. Adam dropped the frightened dog to the ground before floating over to the stone that sealed the tunnel, lifting it easily before tossing it aside. A moment's glance was all it took him to see that something was wrong with this part of the tunnels, for the walls were stained with green radiation and the air felt heavier. Adam marched through the tunnel until he came to a larger room at the end, where a massive greenish stone rested.

"By the gods," Adam muttered aloud when he saw the meteor, which was at least three times his own size. The large stone was definitely from space, but what caught Adam's attention was that it had been cracked open and large green shards rested within the center of it. Adam knelt down on the side and tore out one of the shards, holding it in his hand while he narrowed his eyes. 'I...have seen this before...yes, it was called kryptonite. It is what the weak use to try to wound Superman. I am surprised that a piece of his planet made it this far.'

'This must be the source of the radiation poisoning. It seems that it affects this land far differently than it does mine,' Adam mused as he turned the green shard over in his hand, glad that he had no such vulnerability to a rock. But then another color within the green caught his eye, and Adam reached within the meteor to its center before he grabbed what he wanted, ripping out the shard so he could see it. "Golden kryptonite? I have never even heard of this one before," Adam muttered as he looked down at the gold piece of material before looking to the green one, an idea forming in his mind.

"Time to deal with the problem," Adam muttered as he rose up, slipping both the pieces of kryptonite into his sash before he grabbed the meteor with both hands. He then shot through the ceiling above and out of the ground in one of the fields, still bringing the meteor in tow. He took aim at the sun resting above his head before he hurled the rock with all his might, watching as it sailed off towards its doom. He then floated back down towards the ponies, who had all gathered around him again. "I have rid you of the source of the radiation, but it will take time for it to fade away. I would suggest staying away from the contaminated fields for a long while."

"But what about-?"

"Canterlot will send food and provisions to aid you until your land has returned to normal," Black Adam finished, snarling at the pony who had interrupted him. "I will speak with the Princess and we shall try to find a way to return this land to normal. I will not abandon you to die here," Adam finished as he turned around.

"Like you let the Elements die?" a young voice called out. Black Adam heard the ponies around the foal try to shush him, but Adam did not care. He had encountered this kind of hatred many times in the few months that he had been back. This was nothing new. Adam shot into the sky and soared towards Canterlot, holding a chunk of kryptonite in each hand so they would not fall. He descended to the castle, but to his surprise he found out from a guard that Celestia had been out for a while.

"What are those?" the guard asked Black Adam as the man leaned against a wall to wait.

"These are the solution to the Royal Guard being a laughing stock," Adam replied as he held up the two shards. "These will bring you technology that you have never seen before."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

The Griffon King looked out across his nation from his balcony, racking his brain with ways to try to be rid of the only obstacle that stood between him and Equestria. 'But no matter how hard I think, there is nothing that can even scratch that being, let alone be rid of him.' Garda sighed before sensing a presence behind him, turning to see what looked like a pony hidden under a black coat.

"Before you call your guards, Garda, perhaps I can tell you what you desire," the pony said before Garda could speak out. The pony pulled something from under his cloak and offered it to the king, who took it with caution. He looked down upon the stones and the parchment with interest, seeing some kind of ballistic weapon upon the parchment. "Even Black Adam has a weakness, and those stones are it." Garda looked up to find that the pony was gone. But that didn't matter to him in the least.

"Because if I have studied these designs right, then this could be the chance I have been waiting for," he smiled.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"I do not know about this, Teth," Celestia muttered as she looked over the plans Adam had drawn up on his idea. "Most of the ponies in Canterlot remember what the humans looked like when they...all I'm saying is dressing our guard in this attire might instill fear and hatred in the minds of the ponies."

"Celestia, the armor and weaponry that has been distributed to your guard is pathetic," Adam bluntly replied. "They were helpless when the changelings attacked and they were foes that could be matched by a pony, yet due to their weak armor and weaponry they were overrun. And think about this. If their armor failed to protect them against something as insignificant as a changeling, then what will they do if another foe, such as Tirek or the dragons return to you kingdom to seize it? Even more lives would be lost, Celestia."

Celestia sighed as she looked back down at the plans, not liking the idea of her guard wearing the same armor of the beings that killed her daughter. 'But Teth does have a valid point. The Royal Guard may make the ponies feel safe, but they have had little success in stopping any threats that have attacked our city. Maybe...an upgrade should be considered. And if they have this weaponry that could hold me back, then any threat they face would have an equally hard time dealing with them.'

"...Alright Teth. I do believe that the guards do require an upgrade. But are you sure this "ally" of yours can create the armor?" she asked Black Adam, who smirked at her response.

"He is not an ally of mine Celestia, for I do not trust an ounce of him," Black Adam responded. "But he is one of the best at inventing and with the items I have retrieved, I believe there is little he would not do to lay his hands upon the shards I have." Celestia gave Black Adam a worried look as he said this, but she let the worry go with a sigh.

"How are you going to reach him? I thought that you did not know how to fly back to your own world?" Celestia asked.

"I do not, but I do not need to know the way back to return." Celestia raised an eyebrow at him as he said this, motioning for him to continue. "I have a spell that with enough magical power will enable me to teleport back to my home. The reason I have not done so is that there are other spellcasters on the planet who will be able to sense the magic if I were to cast it. That is why I will ask you to cast the spell."

"Why me? Won't they just sense my magic as well?" Celestia asked.

"Yes, but a great deal of magic enters and exits the planet each day," Adam explained. "The heroes are on the lookout for evil or destructive magic, such as my own. Your magic is neither malicious nor my own, so I believe that they will not be as quick in searching for where I appear. Then I should be able to use a hint of my own magic to throw them off my trail...for a while at the least. It took me a while to master the spell, so I will incant it. You will open the portal."

"This sounds risky."

"It would not be worth doing otherwise." Celestia chuckled slightly at that before she looked out the window at the rising moon, which was almost in the center of the sky. "Do you think she's alright?" she asked. Adam followed her gaze to the moon before slightly shaking his head as he turned towards the exit.

"I do not know. Only time will tell." Adam exited the room, leaving Celestia alone to gaze at the moonlit sky, tears forming in her eyes as she thought of her sister. She allowed one of the tears to fall from her eyes before she headed towards her bed, throwing herself face first upon the pillows with a sigh.

'Why must everything be so hard nowadays?' she thought to herself. 'Why can't things go back to the way they used to be?' The grasp of sleep began to envelope her and with one last yawn she closed her eyes, beginning to drift off into dreamland--when she had the most peculiar vision. 'Why is everything silver?' she thought to herself as she looked around at a silver room, not sure if she was awake or not. She turned around to find herself looking at a small pony that was made completely out of silver energy, her eyes going wide the moment she saw her.

'The silver one,' she whispered with rage as she glared down at the pony.

'It has been far too long,' the silver mare said, her voice sounding like she was holding back tears. 'How many years have passed since I last saw you?'

'I do not know what you speak of, monster!' Celestia snarled back as she fired magic at the silver pony, who simply vanished before the spell struck her and re-materialized behind the princess. 'Have you come to take my life as well or are your monsters waiting for your command to strike me down?!'

'W-what are you talking about?' the mare asked with complete confusion in her voice as she took a step towards Celestia, but the princess snarled as she fired another bolt of magic at the hooves of the mare. 'I would never seek to harm you. You gave me everything in my life. Why would I wish to harm you?'

'I don't know," Celestia responded with a snarl, trying to not let the mare's words confuse her. 'Why don't you ask those humans you brought to this world, the ones that killed my daughter!' To Celestia's surprise the mare seemed physically taken aback by this. The silver mare looked at the ground before she collapsed to all fours, the silver mare covering her face.

'What do you mean?' she asked in a barely audible whisper.

'Three humans appeared in my home while my daughter and I were talking and began to attack my subjects! During the attack, Radiance tried to save me from an attack by the humans and she lost her life in the process!' Celestia screamed at the mare, who made no sound in response. 'Once Black Adam had slain them, he found that there were traces of silver magic upon them, the very same magic that I see coming off of you!'

'No...' the silver one whispered as she began to shake, wanting so desperately to cry, but her form prevented her from doing so. 'How could this have happened? Could it have been...the sphere that I accidently sent off into the unknown? Did I bring those creatures here?' While she was asking herself those questions Celestia had been getting close enough to her so that single magic blast would do her in. Celestia looked down at the mare with narrowed eyes as she aimed her horn at her.

'I...I killed my own sister.'

'What did you just say?' Celestia asked her, the words of the silver mare piercing through her rage in an instant. 'What do you mean you killed your own sister?' The silver mare lifted her eyes towards Celestia and moved her mane out of her face, allowing Celestia to looking into her blank, silver eyes.

'Don't you recognize me, Mother?' the silver mare weakly asked. 'It's me, Sunny.' Celestia looked down at her with compete shock in her eyes, but before either of them could say something, a thunderous boom could be heard as the dream was torn apart by a bolt of lightning. Celestia's eyes snapped open and she shot up in bed to see what had happened. Black Adam was standing in front of her bed with his body crackling with power, eyes narrowed and teeth bared as he glared at the pony across the room from him. On the other side of the room was the silver mare, her body flickering slightly as she looked at Black Adam.

'W-who are you?' she asked him as she leaned in to get a better look. 'You...look remarkably similar to Teth, but he was just a regular human. He couldn't--' She never finished speaking as Black Adam shot forward, throwing a punch right at her head. But to his surprise his blow went right through her, never making contact with the mare. The silver mare yelped and leapt back while Adam looked down at his hand, his mind trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

"I am Black Adam. The superior form of the man you have mentioned," Adam snarled. "How do you know that name? Why are you here?"

'You're Teth?' the silver mare whispered. 'I-it's me! Sunnysmiles!' Black Adam gave her the same dumbfounded expression that Celestia had, but after a moment his face contorted with a look of rage and lightning crackled along his body.

"No, you cannot be her. I watched her die," Adam snarled as his eyes flashed with the same power that flooded through him. "I was there when they buried her in the ground. You are not her! You are an imposter!" Black Adam threw both of his hands forward and sent two tendrils of magical lightning into the silver mare's chest, blasting the silver pony through the wall to Celestia's room and into the hallway, where she violently flickered.

'P-please Teth, it is me. I am your friend,' she begged. Adam narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before the darkness of his hatred returned to his face.

"You are no friend of mine! And I shall kill you!" Anything else she tried to say was drowned out by the thunder and lightning that Black Adam summoned into his hands, creating a sphere of lightning that caused even the silver mare to tingle. With no other option the silver mare tore open a portal in reality and flung herself into it just as Adam threw his sphere. To his surprise the sphere was absorbed by the portal and was added to its power, causing the mare to vanish in an instant. Adam shot forward to grab her but the portal closed before he could, leaving him to stare at the air where the portal had been.

'She got away. That was the one who summoned those humans that killed Radiance,' he deduced, but then he remembered what she had said to him. 'It...it cannot be. She is dead.' Black Adam threw himself through the ceiling as he rocketed across the moonlit sky, landing a moment later on a small hill where eight graves rested. He walked over to the oldest one and blasted a hole in it with his lightning, having to know the truth.

'It is as I thought,' he thought as he shook his head, filling the grave back in with dirt from the surrounding area. 'She is dead. And none I care about ever come back from the dead. But now I know the face of my enemy. But I cannot chase after her. Whatever magic she is using, it is...superior to my own, at least in allowing her to escape. The only way that I can track her...is to add to my own power.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"Are you certain of this, Teth?" Celestia asked Black Adam, who nodded as he stood in the center of the ritual circle in her chambers. He began to mutter enchantments as Celestia added her own magic to the mix, grunting as she felt her magic begin to get syphoned out of her. She heard Adam mutter something and for a brief moment, she saw another human before the portal appeared at Adam's feet. "that was harder than I thought it would be," she muttered.

"I used my magic for the summoning part and to locate whom I wished to teleport myself to," Adam slightly panted. "All you did was open the portal for me," Adam responded as he floated over the portal. He then floated over to a table to grab a number of supplies. The suits the humans wore, the schematics that they had held, the guns and finally a container made of lead. "I do not know how long I will be gone, but any longer than a few days and it is most likely I have been captured again. If I fail to return...be safe."

"I will. Because you will come back," Celestia said to him with a smile. Adam nodded at her before he dove into the portal, closing his eyes as he felt his very being get ripped apart before having himself be placed back together. The process was over in an instant, but it felt like an eternity to the god. But as he felt the magic end he opened his eyes, smiling at the sight before him.

"B-Black Adam?" the bald man who had fallen to the ground asked him in complete disbelief, his eyes looking at the god more with confusion than with fear or rage. Black Adam turned his head to see that he was within a laboratory, the likes of which he had never seen, telling him that he had indeed reached his destination. "I thought that you had been cast off into the never-ending reaches of space?"

"I was, but when has that ever stopped me from returning," Black Adam asked as he looked down at the human standing before him. "Luthor."

The Wizard

"I must admit Adam, out of all the villains that have been defeated or sent away by the League, you were the last one I expected to appear in my laboratory," Luthor suavely said to the man, but Adam was too busy muttering a few spells to conceal his presence there. "And I see that you have gotten your powers back. Which is odd, because according to my sources, you were sent to the ends of the universe without your voice--" Adam grabbed Luthor by the throat and lifted him into the air, narrowing his eyes at the smirk on Luthor's face.

"So...we're going...with the old greeting, huh?" Luthor joked.

"How secure is this laboratory of yours?" Adam asked. When Luthor raised an eyebrow in response, Black Adam tightened his grip slightly. "I know you Luthor. You do not like to be spied upon. Are the walls lined with lead? Do you have machines in place that prevent this area from being hacked? Have you tempered the metal with anti-magic?" Luthor chuckled to himself as Adam lowered him to the floor, patting Adam on the shoulder.

"All that and more, Black Adam," Luthor smirked, but Adam was fully aware that Luthor was examining both him and the items he brought--with hidden interest in his eyes. "No one will be able to sense any magic in here. But enough about my humble abode. I highly doubt that you returned from the edges of the universe so that we could talk about how secure my rooms are. You want something from me, don't you?" Adam nodded as he walked over to the armor and weapons he had brought, starting with the suit and the schematics that had been within said suit.

"Over a year ago strange humans, from what I assumed was a parallel world, attacked the land I now protect," Adam began as Luthor took the items out of his hands, studying them very closely. "While disposing of the fools was easy, unlocking the secrets that their weapons and armor held was...out of my area." Luthor held up a hand to silence him as he walked over to the other items Adam had brought. He picked up the helmet and analyzed it for a minute, before he took both it and the gun to a workbench near at hand.

"It seems that this weapon fires some kind of pulse energy in round forms, making it similar to a machine gun," Luthor began as he started to take the weapon apart, quickly observing, learning and categorizing the different parts and how they worked. "Also seems to be a grenade launcher. But this technology is futuristic to what I can make, though not by much. 'Another reality', that's what you said?"

"That is what I believe. They gave off a weird magic from a being that seeks to destroy me," Black Adam scowled, only to get a smirk out of the bald genius.

"Black Adam, nearly everyone wants to destroy you," he said as he picked up the helmet. "You're not exactly the most popular man in the known universe. Hmmm...collapsible while also able to be manually removed. Space worthy as well--now that's interesting. And made of a very strong metal I see. Now for the suit. Hmm...flexible, but durable. Also space worthy, very good. These are all very interesting finds, Black Adam. Why did you travel across space to bring them to me?"

"Because I have a deal to make with you," Adam began as he floated over to the book he had brought on Equestria and the ponies within it, picking it up and tossing it to Luthor. "I need you to replicate the weaponry and armor that these humans had to fit an army, but not the kind of army you are used to." Luthor cracked open the book and quickly skimmed through it, a smile on his face that grew only larger as he read.

"Magical, multicolored horses?" Luthor said almost with disbelief in his voice. "These are the creatures you now protect? That is golden, Adam! You must tell me how they make glue on this world." Lightning flashed from Adam's eyes and Luthor backed away from him a bit, looking around to see if he had any weapons within reach that could harm Adam. "I can do what you ask Adam, hell, I can do anything. But what do I get out of this? Will you try to destroy Superman again? Because the last time that happened you got thrown to the end of the universe."

"I have compensation," Adam said as he cracked open the lead-lined container and reached into it to pull out the green shard, smirking as both of Luthor's eyes went in unison to it at the sight of the green fragment. "I believe that you have good reason to acquire one of these pieces." Black Adam held out the piece and Luthor took it from him in an instance, walking over to a machine so that he could examine the piece. When he confirmed its validity, he looked at Black Adam with a smile on his face.

"Black Adam...my friend...of course I can prepare an army for you," he said with an evil smile as he looked down at the green shard in his hands. "But just to be clear, you want me to recreate this armor for around four foot horses? This is correct?" Black Adam nodded as Luthor looked at the tech with interest. "Only for the horses?"

"I care not if you wish to keep what you have learned for yourself," Adam said. "As long as I receive what I require, then you are free to do what you wish with the rest of it." Luthor chuckled to himself as bent over the workbench, his eyes looking hungrily at all of the knowledge that was hidden within the suits before his eyes rested upon the schematics. He picked them up with interest and brought them over to a large computer at the end of the room, fiddling with both for a few minutes.

"There we go. Now let us see what is on this," Luthor muttered as he hacked into the schematics with relative ease. He whistled slightly as Adam walked over beside him, unable to make out what was on the screen. "It's a number of weapons, tools and other suit designs that this world apparently has. Also it seems to have been overrun with undead alien-like creatures that reanimate corpses. Going to look into that later."

"And what does this mean for the suits for the army?" Black Adam asked.

"This means that this is going to be harder than I thought," Luthor muttered as he scrolled through the different designs within the schematics. "The suits are equipped by a special machine, but it seems that you only need one. But refitting the suits will be difficult as well as finding a way to allow those without magic to fire the weaponry, not to mention the stasis and telekinesis...hmm, on second thought Black Adam, I might need a little more payment if you wish for me to do this. I am a busy man after all and this will be time consuming." Luthor had expected Adam to threaten him, but instead the dark god walked over to the lead container and reached inside, but this time he pulled out another shard of kryptonite.

"I assumed that you would try this. That is why I brought insurance."

"Is that...gold kryptonite?" Luthor whispered weakly, his composure breaking down as he saw what Adam held within his hands. Adam nodded with his own evil smile as Luthor walked over to him, but before he could grab the shard Adam caught him with his free hand and lifted Luthor up. "Forgive me if I do not give you this one, but I do not wish to give away my hold on you so easily."

"Then tell me what it does! Does is set him on fire?! Turn him to ash?! I must know!" Luthor grunted as he tried to grab the piece of kryptonite, but Adam kept it at arms reach.

"I know not what it will do to the Kryptonian, but if you wish to find out you will create the weaponry as I have requested," Adam said as he dropped Luthor to the floor. "I also wish to know how those I protect can create the armor themselves so I do not need to return here every time I wish to forge new armor. Seeing you again after ten years is still too soon for me." Luthor rose to his feet with his composure, though Adam saw that his eyes never left the kryptonite that he held within his hands. Silently Luthor walked over to his workbench, grabbed the book of Equestria, and taking it to his computer, began to make measurements and formulate how he was going to make this work.

"I am sorry if I will not be good company, but making suits and weaponry for an army will take time," Luthor said to Adam without emotion in his voice, though Adam knew that the bald man was planning something. "Why not go out, see the city while you're here? Or do the heroes still hate you after you killed all of Congress. Oh yes, that was a spectacle. Did you know that the people of Earth almost elected me president in their desperation. Of course Superman changed their minds, but it was nice to see that they'll put me in a position of power if they feel desperate enough."

'You in power is truly a terrifying thought,' Adam mused. But as he leaned against the wall of the room while Luthor worked away, he found his mind wandering back to the silver mare and what she had said. He had confirmed it for himself that Sunnysmiles was dead, but how did the mare know so much about her? Did she read their minds and use that information against them? The more Adam thought about the mare, the more he realized that her magic was, while not superior, something with which his own could not keep up.

'The more I think about it, the more I have realized that...my powers alone may no longer be enough to protect those I care about...my nation,' Adam bitterly asserted as he clenched his fists. 'I need more power, yet I cannot go after Marvel as the other heroes would overpower me, as they did before...but if I go to the source, if I take his power...' Adam placed the kryptonite within his sash and floated towards the exit, getting Luthor's attention.

"I'm sorry, is my making weapons for an entire army boring you?" he asked with a smirk. Adam turned to look back at him with cold eyes before he sighed.

"I am going someplace where I have not been welcome in a lifetime," Black Adam began before he shot through the door and out of the building. He shot into the heavens with speeds that no mortal could fathom, going faster and faster until all of reality seemed to merge together. Then as he burst through the confines of his own reality, he found himself standing before a massive stone castle that was suspended by nothing. He wondered for a moment if the heroes had sensed his speed, but it did not matter now. He had work to do.

'Yes, it has truly been eons since I was last welcome at the Rock of Eternity.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

The ancient halls looked like they hadn't changed a day since the last time Adam had walked through them, but back then he had been allowed to roam through them. Now he knew that he was on restricted territory for him, and that it was only a matter of time until the wizard or any of the other magical beings here sensed him.

'But none of them are powerful enough to stop me. Not even the Seven Sins,' Adam mused to himself as he entered a large chamber, where he found two staircases that headed up towards his destination, while banners adorned with the symbol of the wizard hung lazily from the ceiling. But what gained the warrior's eye was the suit of armor, the mirror and the jar that rested off to the side of the room. He inhaled once before placing one foot inside of the room.

'What are you doing back here?!' the armor roared as it came to life, lightning flowing through its joints as it flung itself at Black Adam. Adam caught the armor by the face and hurled it against a wall, the suit being torn to pieces by the impact. Black Adam then entered the room fully as he looked around, pausing to see if there were any other surprises waiting for him. The armor had begun to reform, the lightning connecting it once again as the empty helmet seemed to glare at Adam. 'After all you have done, you have the nerve to return here?!'

"I do," Adam muttered as the knight drew a blade of pure lightning, Adam narrowing his eyes as the armor rushed towards him. He intercepted the first strike with his gauntlets and kicked the suit in the chest, sending it skidding back. An uppercut sent it into the ceiling, where it struck the roof hard before falling back down. Adam tore its blade from its hand before impaling the suit upon its own sword. He then lifted both the sword and the suit on the end before throwing both towards a wall, the sword impaling the suit to the wall.

'Why are you doing this, Black Adam?' a lady in the mirror asked him. Adam turned his head to face her. 'Haven't you caused enough pain?'

"I do not need to explain my actions to you," Black Adam snarled before he cracked the mirror with his fist, still able to see the woman within it. "Go and tell the wizard that I am here. And, that I am ending our feud today." The woman vanished as Black Adam took to the air, ignoring the remarks made by the suit of armor. He floated down the long hallway to where the wizard resided, passing by the statues where the Seven Deadly Sins were imprisoned. At the end of the long hallway was a room far larger than any other in the castle, and at the end of it rested a single throne with a plate beside it, along with a mirror. But Adam's eyes rested solely on the figure that sat on the throne, eyes filled with sorrow as he gazed upon Adam. He wore a long white robe and had an equally white beard, but power flooded through him that very few had seen before. He was the wizard.

"Shazam," Black Adam snarled, moving forward to avoid the lightning bolt that followed. The wizard did not speak in return but instead shook his head sadly. The woman in the mirror said something to him, but the wizard held up a hand as he looked upon Adam.

"Nearly ten years since I have last seen you."

"And it has not been long enough," Shazam replied with power filling every word, a power that did not cow Adam in the least. "But I sent you off without your voice, without your power. How did you manage to make it back so quickly this time?" Adam sneered in response as he let the power crackle off of him.

"Because you forget, the prodigal son always returns home," Black Adam growled. "Did you think that by removing my powers, that I would forget about what you did to me, what you denied me? Because of your interference, my people were not served the justice that they deserved that day." The wizard shook his head slightly as he motioned for the woman in the mirror to leave them, which she did but with hesitation.

"Justice? From what I saw that day you were exacting vengeance, not this justice you seem to seek," Shazam replied sadly. "But you have never been able to tell the two apart. How could I have been so blind as to believe that you could be the champion I needed so badly? But it matters not now," Shazam replied calmly, but Black Adam gave him a small smile.

"If you are trying to call for help, do not bother. I sealed this place within my magic after I entered," Black Adam boasted, but the wizard remained emotionless. "The barrier will fall when I wish for it to do so." Shazam looked at Black Adam with pained eyes, before he closed them and rested his head against the back of his chair.

"What is it you seek to accomplish here? Do you seek to destroy me once and for all? Without me, you will not be able to call down the word that empowers you so. You will be mortal again." The wizard had hoped to stop Black Adam with this information, but to his surprise all Black Adam did was shake his head with a small frown on his face.

"I know full well what killing you would do, Wizard, but you are not truly alive, not anymore. But I am not here to kill you," Black Adam snarled as he clenched his fist. "I am here for your power, the power of the wizards that has been passed down since magic first began." Adam began to smile at the look of horror the wizard now wore. "And if I take your powers upon myself, then the word will still be empowered, but I will be the Wizard...no, I will be more than you ever were! I will use the magic in a way that you never bothered to use!"

"To do what, Black Adam?" Shazam asked with scorn filling up his voice. "To destroy all those who stand in your way? To make the world submit to you in the way you have always dreamed of? To finally have the absolute power that you crave?" When Black Adam looked into the wizard's eyes, the old man gasped, for the first time since Teth had become Black Ada, did the wizard see something in his eyes. He saw courage, honor and the will to protect.

"No, Wizard. In your thousands of years of living you have spent your time hiding within these walls, afraid to communicate with the outside world, believing that it did not deserve the help your magic could bring it!" Black Adam roared with fierce power in his voice. "And that is where you fail as a protector of the humans. But I will not make the same mistake you have! I will use my magic to protect the weak, to heal the sick, and to inspire hope within those who cannot find it themselves. I will become what you failed to be."

'Is this...really the Black Adam that I knew?' the wizard asked himself as he gazed upon his fallen champion. 'He seems...so much stronger than he did before, and his eyes are filled with purpose now...no Shazam, do not fall for his lies. If he seeks the power you hold than nothing good can come of it. You must stop him...or die trying.' "You do realize that I am not simply going to lie down and allow you to take this power from me, do you?"

"I defeated you once old man. I can do it again," Black Adam said as he held both hands to his sides, drawing power from the magic that surrounded the place. The wizard closed his eyes and bowed his head for a moment, praying for his fallen family to give him strength. Then he opened his now pure white eyes as he clasped his hands together. When he separated them he drew forth a staff of golden light, with a thunderbolt at its tip that shone with power. The stones beneath his feet were then absorbed into his body, giving his slightly ethereal form strength. "You take on a physical form to face me? You will not win that way."

"After all this time, you still believe that the pain you cause was for justice," Shazam scorned as he raised the staff over his head, dark thunderclouds forming in the center of the Rock of Eternity. Black Adam rose into the air as well as the clouds began to encircle him, lightning flashing across his suit as he prepared himself. "Slaughtering millions, destroying both hero and villain alike. All you are is a greed-filled monster, who seeks a power that he should have never even received a taste of."

"And you are still the frightened old man that you have always been," Adam spat in return. "You have always been too afraid of getting involved with the human race, despite all the good that you could have brought to them. Imaging all the wars you could have stopped, the diseases you could have cured if you were willing to be among them. But you are weak and afraid."

"I stayed away from the humans so that they would not become dependent on magic to save them!" Shazam roared as he slammed the butt of his staff into the floor, blowing away the walls that surrounded them to reveal what looked like hundreds of galaxies surrounding the ground upon which they both stood. "So that they could learn to be strong on their own! So that they would not need a god to rule over them and shape their destiny for them!"

"The humans do not need a god to save them. What they needed was a teacher to put them on the right path," Black Adam responded with a growl. "But you could not even do that. You could not even teach them how to use magic. Because you believed that they would destroy each other with it."

"Because they would," Shazam snarled as he tossed his hands to the side. "You have seen what they have done with their weapons and their technology! If I shared the magic with them, they might destroy the whole world! Humanity cannot be trusted with magic! That is why I--"

"Chose only a select few to inherit the power," Adam spat. "But that is where you and I differ, old man. You do not believe in humanity and never have; that is why you strove to find someone who was perfect to inherit the power of the world. I have been shown that all have the potential to be mighty, yet they do not have someone to guide them. But that is what I will do with your power. I will show them what it means to be mighty."

"You will have to do it over my dead body, Adam," Shazam said as he spun the staff over his shoulders and pointed the tip of it at Adam's chest.

"The old me would have had it no other way," Adam responded as lightning crackled along his body, causing his eyes to turn as white as the wizard's as they glared at each other. "But now I will ask you once, give me your power and I shall not erase you." When Shazam snarled in reply, Adam nodded once in acceptance.

And then they began.

Supreme Adam

Earth-shattering lightning flashed from the fingertips of Black Adam, who had invoked the power of Aton to fuel his lightning to even higher power. Shazam saw the electric bolts hurling themselves towards him and he stuck out his staff, swirling it around to catch the lightning on the end of it. Shazam then began to spin the staff above his head, causing the lightning to change from Black Adam's golden fury to his own white light. With a yell, he then flung the staff back towards Adam, who caught it with both of his hands.

"Is that all you can do, old man? You were more of a challenge when--" Adam never finished his words as the white lightning detonated itself upon him, sending the dark god crashing into the platform that was suspended by nothingness. Adam groaned while he struggled back to his feet, meanwhile Shazam held out his hand, his staff returning to him in a flash of lightning.

"Darak de nos!" Shazam roared as he slammed his staff into the ground, causing waves of stone and steel to rise into the sky like waves in the sea, waves that he sent crashing down towards the downed Adam. Black Adam snarled as the waves advanced towards him, and with a roar he drove both of his fists into the oncoming assault, destroying the waves with one blow. He then shot through the rubble and drove his shoulder into the wizard, sending both of them flying into the air.

Black Adam threw a strong right towards the wizard's face, yet a diamond of white magic intercepted the attack. The diamond cracked from the blow, yet the strike never reached the wizard's face. Shazam muttered beneath his breath and in the next moment Black Adam found his hands empty. With a roar he turned to face back towards the floor, where the wizard had already created a magic circle.

"Dos der vandar!" Shazam roared as he placed the staff in the center of the circle. A beam of white magic burst forth from the staff and streaked towards Black Adam, who threw both of his arms up just as the blast reached him. Adam gritted his teeth as the magic tore at his natural defenses, tearing through his body like he was made of paper.

"Teras vos Aton!" Black Adam roared through the pain, throwing out his arms to create a barrier of electric magic that held the beam that the wizard created at bay. With the shield now protecting him, Black Adam hurled himself through the beam and down into the magic circle, slamming into the floor with enough force to shatter the ground and break the circle. Shazam was thrown back by the impact and he landed hard on his back. As he struggled to get his shaking body back to its feet, he watched as Adam emerged from the destruction, barely scratched.

"This is a battle that you know you cannot win," Black Adam said as he walked towards the wizard, who leaned against his staff while he struggled to remain standing. "Even if your power was equal to my own, you are far too old for your body to handle the magic that you are using. Surrender and I will allow you to live." Shazam responded by pointing the tip of his staff towards Adam, defiance flashing in his eyes. Black Adam sighed before throwing himself through the air, bringing back his right fist charged with electric power as he prepared to strike.

"By the might of Geb, I breathe life into you!" Shazam roared as he drove the lighting bolt into the floor, blowing back Adam as a torrent of lightning erupted from the ground beneath his feet. Adam recovered in time to watch as massive stone titans emerged from the very ground on which they fought, all of them filled with the magical power that flooded through the wizard. Each of the titans let out a roar as they charged Black Adam, who roared in return as he and one of the titans threw a blow towards each other. Adam's fist tore through the stone fist of the titan, and with a mighty swing he blew the titan to pebbles with his strike.

"Hades, seal his movement!" Shazam yelled as he pointed the tip of his staff towards Adam, planting it into the floor when bloodied chains emerged from its tip. The chains quickly wrapped themselves around the limbs of Black Adam and immediately pulled him to the ground. Adam struggled against the chains until one of the two titans smashed its fist into his face, sending Adam skidding across the floor. Before he could go too far, the chains went taut, pulling him back into the ground.

"You believe that these chains will be able to hold me?!" Black Adam roared as he pushed against the chains of hell with his might, shattering them with a roar as he freed himself. With a scream of rage, Black Adam tore through the two titans that remained standing before he narrowed his eyes on the wizard. "This ends now, old man!"

"Indeed, Black Adam, this does." Adam realized a second too late what the wizard meant. He flew into a new triangle of magic onto the ground, which, the moment he entered, shot out walls of magic that imprisoned him in place. Adam furiously slammed his fists into the walls of magic, yet they held strong despite his strength. "I see you remember this spell. It is the very same one that I used to banish you to the edge of the universe last time."

"And you believe that it will work again?" Black Adam coldly asked as he placed a hand against the wall while he glared at the wizard. "I have returned twice before, what makes you believe that I will not do so again?" For a brief instance there was hesitation in the old wizard's eyes, and in that moment of weakness did Adam strike. "SHAZAM!" he cried, smirking as the golden bolt descended upon the barrier that held him, shattering its golden walls and hurling the wizard away from him. Black Adam shot forward and caught the wizard, slamming him into the ground before planting his boot onto the wizard's chest.

"This is my victory," Black Adam said looking down to the wizard, who was struggling just to move. Black Adam reached down and grabbed the golden staff off of the ground, lifting it above his head with the lightning bolt pointed down at the old man. "And your powers will now be mine. And with them I shall be the champion that I was destined to be."

"You are no champion!" the wizard spat back, reaching up towards his staff with whatever strength he could manage. "You are a tyrant, a madman who should never have received this power! I do not know what black magic was used upon me to make me believe that you could possibly be the hero whom I searched for all my life, but it truly did blind me!"

"It is funny to hear you say that, because I remember before you bestowed the word upon me, you did tell me that you had never seen such a kind and wise man in all of your years," Black Adam reminded the wizard. Adam's eyes narrowed a bit as he saw the wizard's gaze shift away from the dark one who pinned him to the ground. "I was the only one worthy of the powers! Out of everyone else in my land, I was the kindest and the most noble. You told me yourself many times."

"Yes...but that was before...what I saw...what absolute power would turn you into," the wizard shamefully admitted. "I did not see the darkness that was buried deep within your heart. So, when the day came that I found out what you were capable of..." The wizard stopped there, but Adam looked down at the old man with curiosity in his eyes. He had never seen the wizard like this before and he could tell something was amiss.

"There is sorrow in your eyes old one, yet it is not a sorrow for your actions," Black Adam pointed out before another thought entered his mind, something that he had rarely thought of before. When the wizard tried to stay silent, he pushed down harder with his boot. "What are you not telling me about those days?...In fact...back then, when we first clashed...why did you simply send me away instead of killing me?"

"In your form I could not-"

"Do not give me that wizard. You have been alive for millennia, surely you could handle a man who had had his powers less than a year," Adam muttered, starting to realize that he must be missing something. "And over ten years ago, you had the chance to kill me again, to undo your mistake, yet you cast me away again...could it be that you have been trying to avoid killing me? That you have been sparing me...sending me away to keep me safe?" Adam did not believe his own words for more than an instant, yet the wizard's eyes confirmed what he had been thinking. "Why? Why cast me away knowing full well that I could return?"

"Because..." Shazam began to choke out when Adam applied more pressure. "Because from the first day I met you, I was amazed at how one such as yourself could be so selfless, so caring. And as I taught you how to be a ruler, a protector, I realized that you were everything I had wanted in a family, even though you had a darkness in you. That is why...after all these years of pain and fighting...I have not been able to kill you...to be rid of my greatest mistake," the wizard sobbed out. "Because every time I look upon the face of Black Adam, I still see the young man named Teth who I believed could be the champion of the world. I see my own son."

Black Adam looked down at the wizard with the staff still lifted over his head. There was no emotion on his face, but the reason was, he masked his true thoughts which were a torrent of confusion and uncertainty. Adam closed his eyes for a moment as he thought back to those days, to when the wizard had taught him...had been like a father to him. And Adam had failed him so many times. But then, as Adam's eyes opened they hardened with a pain that he masked well.

"I understand now, but that does not change what I must do," Black Adam said coldly as he lifted the staff even higher. "But before you die, I will allow you to know this. I do not take your power so that I can be the strongest being in existence, but so that I can protect a new world, a world that I care about and watch over. I will do what you never dared to do. I will use my magic to save them. That is my promise!" He drove the staff down as he said this and pierced Shazam's chest with one motion. Shazam screamed to the sky as Adam yelled,

"SHAZAM!"

The staff began to syphon the magic from the old man's body and transferred it to Black Adam, who held on for dear life as torrents of magical lightning decimated the land around them, with the magic bolt that he had called down fusing the wizard's power to his own. Black Adam closed his eyes as everything went white, and when he dared to open his eyes he found that the wizard was no longer beneath him, as all that was left of him was white ash. The staff was twisted metal in his hand, but Adam did not care about that anymore for he was far too fascinated with what had become of his body.

His entire body was covered with white magic that had permeated itself into his suit, turning his black garb into the brightest of whites. His grieves and gauntlets were still golden, but the lightning bolt on his chest now had flashes of white along with its normal gold. But what fascinated Adam the most, besides the unlimited power that he now felt flowing through him, was the knowledge. His mind was filled with spells and enchantments of which only Shazam himself had knowledge.

'Not only do I have his power now, I also have the lifetime's worth of spells and knowledge that he had accumulated,' Black Adam thought to himself as he let the thoughts swirl around in his head while he looked down at his new form. 'But with this power, I could rebuild my nation! I could destroy those heroes and...no, you gave your word to both Celestia and the wizard, this power is to protect the ponies...and any others who seek my help.' He then looked down at the ash where the wizard had lain while the room around him returned to normal, bowing his head with slight respect. 'You may be gone now, but your power will live on through me. And may you find peace knowing that I use this power for others now, not just myself.'

Adam's thoughts sorted through all of the spells that Shazam had accumulated over the years until he found the one that would bring him back to Luthor's secret laboratory. He smirked when the spell cast itself in his mind and he opened his mouth to speak it, before he looked back to the ash with a hint of sadness in his eyes. But then he spoke the word,

"Shazam."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Luthor had been flipping through his information on the heroes when a massive bolt of lightning went off inside of his lab, throwing him and his equipment across the room. He grumbled to himself as he got back to his feet, but his anger towards what he assumed was Adam melted away when he laid eyes upon the man.

"What happened to you?" Luthor asked with genuine fear in his voice while he looked upon the radiating Black Adam, while his instincts were telling him to run for his life.

"I have achieved what I went to the Rock of Eternity to accomplish," Black Adam said with what sounded like two voices as he floated over to Luthor, who could feel the power radiating off of Adam. He was also aware that Adam was now far beyond what he had been before. And it terrified Luthor. "I have taken the power of the wizard for my own, making me essentially unstoppable. This is the power I needed to protect my new home."

"You...killed the wizard? Shazam, right?" Luthor asked with half a laugh, trying to keep his composure.

"Not exactly, but his name was Shazam," Black Adam answered somberly. Luthor threw himself out of the way the moment Adam spoke the wizard's name, but to his surprise the lightning bolt did not descend like he thought it would. "Do not bother, the magic will only activate when I choose for it to do so. No more tricking me into speaking the word."

"So then, your only weakness is gone now?" Luthor asked cautiously as he rose back to his feet.

"Yes. I am unstoppable now." Luthor did not like the sound of that, for he knew that tricking Adam into saying Shazam was the only real way for someone like himself to stand a chance against the god-like being. But now that that no longer worked... "How are the designs coming along? I would assume with your intellect that you would have made some progress in the few hours that I was gone?"

"Yes, progress," Luthor repeated as he walked over to his computer and flicked it back on, bringing up the new designs of the suits, and how they had been modified to be worn by the ponies according to the information that Black Adam had given him. "I also figured out a way for those...ponies...without magic to be able to access the stasis and the firearms. That was easy enough, but it will take time for me to manufacture so many suits."

"How long?" Black Adam asked as he walked up beside Luthor, causing the bald billionaire to begin to glow white himself.

"At least a month, and that's for the earliest designs. Of course, it might go faster if I could sell the original designs myself and make a profit..." Luthor assumed that Black Adam had no idea that he had already made multiple copies of the suits and the weaponry that came with it, just in case Black Adam did not want him to keep the original designs. Yet to his surprise Adam nodded in reply.

"I no longer have a need for the human versions. Do with them what you wish." Luthor hid his emotions flawlessly, not letting Black Adam see the huge smile that he had on his face.

'You have always been a little easy to pull the wool over,' Luthor mused to himself silently. 'You've always been so focused on your own little problems and your insignificant people to be concerned with what I had planned. But that is why I enjoy working with you.' Black Adam nodded to the designs on screen before he turned and walked towards the center of the room, Luthor able to feel the air change as he prepared a spell. "May I ask what you're doing?"

"I will be heading back to my land until you are finished," Black Adam said.

"Are you sure that is so wise? The other magic users in the League will probably be able to sense your power now even through my walls. Perhaps you should wait and..."

"Even if they could sense my power, they would most likely only sense the magic of the wizard, since my power did originally come from him," Black Adam replied as he looked down at his open hand, which he then clenched. "And if they do figure out it is me, what does that matter? I can defeat them all with ease now. So let them come. Sha-"

"Actually, before you go, there's still the matter of the...gold kryptonite," Luthor reminded Adam, who stopped his spell to look at Luthor. Adam reached down and took the small shard out of his sash and looked from it to Luthor, weighing the options in his mind. He knew that Luthor would most likely try to kill Superman with it, something with which Adam had no issues. But it would be after Superman was dead that Adam had cause for concern. Luthor, despite his insistence otherwise, was a truly evil human and Black Adam worried a bit for the human race if Luthor was aloud to run free without Superman to stop him.

'But remember that Superman was one of the heroes that stopped you from achieving your justice,' the voice of Isis whispered into Black Adam's ear, and Adam felt his hand tighten around the shard. He had promised not to live for revenge anymore, yet...Without another word Adam tossed the shard to Luthor, who caught it with a childlike smile on his face.

"A word of warning, Luthor," Black Adam said to Luthor, who had turned towards his computer the moment that he had gotten the kryptonite. Luthor stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned to look at Black Adam, who was giving him a dangerous glare. "I care not if you kill Superman, for he has none of my love, but I will warn you now," Black Adam began as he marched up to Luthor, wrapping his hand around his throat and lifting him into the air with ease. "If you cross me or try to kill the innocent of this world, then I will come for you. And unlike the Kryptonian, these stones do not stop me. Nothing can."

He dropped Luthor to the floor as he said this and walked back to the center of the room, where he lifted both of his hands to the sky before looking at Luthor and saying, "So promise I, Supreme Adam. Shazam." A flash of lightning went off and when Luthor could see again Supreme Adam was gone, leaving a scorch mark on the floor where he had left. Luthor fixed the tie on his suit as he stood back up, smirking as he looked down at the kryptonite.

"Oh don't worry Adam, I will have the suits for you, because I am a good business man," Luthor muttered with a chuckle. "Because what will money be to me when I rule the world as a god?" Luthor laughed to himself as he walked over to his computer, where he placed the golden kryptonite under a scanner to begin his research.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Adam opened his eyes as his spell came to an end and he saw the laboratory in Metropolis in front of him, the last destination he had to visit before he would return to Equestria. He had wanted to return to the Kahndaq embassy, yet making sure the future was secure for the ponies came first. As he opened the locked doors with absolute ease, he flicked his wrist to the side, disabling the security systems and making sure that his presence remained undetected.

'Hopefully, Superman is not in the immediate area...or if he is, I'll settle my debt with him,' Adam thought, yet the Man of Steel never showed himself. Adam walked through the empty building until he reached the vault where all the most valuable inventions were kept. He could have torn the vault open, but all that would do was clue the heroes onto him, so instead he snapped is fingers and his magic provided the key that swung the vault open.

"Here you are," he muttered to himself as he walked over to a strange device that was a cylinder with two handles on the side. He hefted it up as he looked down at it. "Yes, if I am to become the protector that they need me to be...I must no long slay my foes as I once did. And with the prisons hardly able to hold anything stronger than a unicorn, I will need a new prison to keep these criminals. That is why I will need the Phantom Zone...forgive me Isis, but I will not be exacting justice today. There are those who need me right now to keep them safe. Forgive me, if you can. Shazam.' As he vanished in a flash of lightning, he never saw the two red eyes that gazed out at him from the shadows, watching his every move.

"I had wondered what had become of you, but to think that you had lost your desire for vengeance, for the fight!...And I had such high hopes for you," the voice said with bloodstained words that had been uttered to many before. "But if you seek to stop the battles that Luthor may cause in the future, then I must be rid of you. New powers or not Black Adam, you can not defeat me at my own game." The ancient one vanished into the darkness, leaving the laboratory empty once again.

Phantoms

Celestia took a few steps away as the white clad figure walked over to her. He looked like Teth, but his power was on another plane of existence. She had simply been sitting in her room reading, when a bolt of godly thunder had gone off and the white clad Adam had appeared before her.

"There is no need for concern Celestia, it is only me," Supreme Adam said to her, but Celestia did not stop backing away until she was up against the wall of her room.

"What has happened to you?" Celestia asked dumbfounded when she felt the magical presence of Adam nearly consume her. "You were mighty before but...but you were never on this level." Supreme Adam looked down at himself for a moment before he placed the machine in his hands on her table, backing away from her before he muttered,

"Shazam." The lightning bolt descended upon him as Celestia covered her eyes, and when she could see through the smoke kicked up by the spell, she saw the dark clad Black Adam standing before her. "I have grown more powerful, Celestia. I am far stronger than when I left. For I now have the power of the wizard flowing through me as well. This shall allow me to better protect your nation as well as hunt down the silver one, no matter where she may hide."

"Wait a moment...you killed the wizard, Shazam?" Celestia asked Black Adam, fear beginning to fill up her eyes. "But you promised me that you would not kill again! That was the condition for you not being sent to--"

"You do not need to remind me, Celestia, I remember what I promised," Black Adam cut her off. "To use my powers to uphold the law, to protect the innocent, and to defend those who seek to harm them without the use of lethal force. And I have kept that promise. I have upheld the law, protected the innocent, and defended your nation from those who sought to harm you. The wizard was not apart of that oath, because he was neither a threat to your nation nor had he broken one of your laws. Therefore, I could full well use lethal force against him."

Celestia snarled in reply to his comment. "That was not the point of the oath! It was so that you could be a better man, so that you could learn to defeat foes without killing them!"

"And there I have you again, Celestia. Shazam died years ago to atone for his sins of bringing me into the world. When I absorbed his power, what I destroyed was a ghost, nothing more." Celestia looked at him in confusion, not sure what to think of his answer. "But I do know the value of mercy." To her surprise Black Adam smiled while he laid a hand on the machine that he had placed on the table.

"I have learned what it means to use no lethal force, Celestia, that is why I took this from my world," Black Adam said as he picked the device up. "This is called a Phantom Zone projector. What it does is cast whomever is trapped within its rays to the Phantom Zone, a prison in another reality where criminals cannot harm each other. Your prisons were not fit to hold some of the criminals that I have dealt with, and Tirek along with Sombra has shown me that those whom you have once sealed away may escape again. That is why I have brought this."

Celestia let her anger towards Black Adam slide for a moment as she gazed with interest at the machine. "Are you certain that's what it does? Couldn't the criminals within it kill each other if they so chose?"

"Celestia, I myself was once banished to this zone, I know what it is like," Black Adam muttered as he remembered. "It strips you of your powers while leaving you weakened and ethereal, so you cannot touch the other prisoners within. Unless you could find a way so that your body was no longer affected by its power, then escape is impossible, unless it is opened from the outside. Shall I demonstrate?"

Celestia hesitated for a moment before she nodded, Black Adam smiling as he pointed the device at her. A flash of red energy consumed her, and when she opened her eyes she found herself in a desolate, wasteland-like place with red skies and grayish ground, where a large number of aliens surrounded the area, with a swirling portal behind her. She braced herself because she expected them to attack, but a quick glance into their eyes told her that they had lost the will to fight ages ago. Only one, who looked similar to Adam, even bothered to get up.

"What do we have here?" it asked as it pulled out a knife. "New meat?" Another alien said something that Celestia could not understand, but the words did seem to get the other one angry. "Shut up! I'm sick of being in here! I need to fight!" It lunged at Celestia and went to drive its knife into her, yet she never moved, trusting Adam's word. Just as he said, both the knife and the alien passed right through her. "No dammit! Let me kill it! Let me--" A bolt of lightning shot through the portal behind Celestia and blasted the ground at the alien's feet, scaring it back away from the princess.

"Come Celestia," she heard Adam's voice say. "They are beyond hope. There is more we need to discuss." Celestia grimly looked back at the essentially lifeless criminals, but from what she had seen this place would make a suitable prison for the most dangerous of criminals. She exited through the portal that Adam had kept open and breathed with relief when she found herself back on the other side. Black Adam closed the portal before turning to her.

"See? In there, most do not even have the will to fight, let alone escape. It is perfect. Now come," Black Adam said to her as he took the machine and headed towards the exit. "There is a criminal that must be placed in here before he has a chance to escape again."

"Indeed, it seems to be perfect," Celestia agreed as she followed him through the castle. 'I admit, I did not like seeing the defeat in the alien's eyes, but it is better than killing them or trapping them within stone to some extent. At least in there they can move around.' Celestia did not ask where they were heading to because she knew who the criminal was. Just as she had expected, Black Adam came to a stop before the door that housed the stone form of Tirek. The guards saluted as the door swung back, allowing the two to enter. Adam immediately pointed the projector towards the beast, but Celestia held out a wing to stop him.

"Can you release him from his stone prison?" Celestia asked Black Adam, who looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He thought about it for a moment before he handed the projector to her and motioned for her to back away, saying the magic word once she had done, and returning to his supreme state. He snapped his fingers and the stone crumbled around Tirek, freeing him within moments.

"What...?" Tirek muttered as he looked around, before his eyes widened at Supreme Adam standing before him. His frail body moved away from the supreme as fast as it could, while absolute fear showed in Tirek's eyes. Adam took the projector from Celestia without a word and pressed the button, allowing Celestia to see the portal that appeared behind Tirek and the red beam of light that pushed him in. Adam closed the portal once again before looking down at Celestia, offering the projector to her.

"You shall be the one to hold onto this," Supreme Adam said. "You shall deem who goes into the zone and who is suitable for the prisons. It is your duty as a ruler." He turned and left the room once she had taken the projector, never seeing her watch him go with sad eyes.

'And he has grown even stronger. Has he truly taken on these powers like he claimed too? Or is he being consumed with the power, hungering for more?' Celestia silently asked herself as she looked down at the projector, planning on placing this within the vault. 'I pray that it is not the latter. I pray that my sister was not right about you.'

"Where is this?" Tirek asked himself as he looked around at the red sky with the greyish landscape, a landscape that for miles only housed one living being. "What kind of hell has the Princess now trapped me within?" He ran forward as he said this to the only land mark he could see, those being hills in the distance. He raced up the slope to get a better view, but even his evil heart went cold at what he saw.

"This...is worse than Tararus," he whispered as he looked down on the field, the field filled with thousands of corpses.

Late the following week, Black Adam once again found himself standing before the doorway to the workout room that the guards had within the palace, but unlike the last time he was there, the guards were not standing around making fun of Spike, they were marveling at what he was doing. From the doorway Black Adam found the dragon once again lifting weights, but this time he was tossing around hundreds of pounds worth of metal without even breaking a sweat. Spike saw Black Adam at the entrance and waved him in, Adam parted the sea of guards to do so.

"I see that you have grown stronger," Black Adam observed, amazed to see that the small dragon was now halfway as tall as him. Adam also observed that yellowish energy ran underneath of his scales, but Adam knew that was his magic at work. What he did not know was how Spike was growing so fast in such a short amount of time.

"I have been. With the boost you gave me, I've been growing stronger than I ever believed I could," Spike said in a slightly deeper voice as he flexed his muscles. "But I will grow even stronger still! I will keep obtaining power until I am strong enough to protect all of Equestria! Just as you have!" Black Adam smiled at the young dragon's desires, but he could not condemn him for them.

"And one day you will, but that day is not anytime soon," Black Adam said to calm him down. 'Celestia did mention something about dragons growing faster if they give into their desires or greed. But in Spike's case, his desire to grow stronger and protect is actually working with my magic. Interesting.' Black Adam was about to say something when a guard came bursting into the room, almost crying tears of joy when he found Black Adam there.

"Thank Faust that I've found you!" he exclaimed as he raced over to Adam. "You have to act quickly! The griffons have launched some weapons that are sailing towards Canterot! Celestia says that something is in them that messes with her magic, so there's nothing she can--" The guard never finished his sentence as Adam burst through the roof of the castle and flung himself into the sky, where he used his enhanced senses to hunt down the object.

"That looks like a missile," Black Adam muttered as his gaze fell upon the rocket-like object that sailed across the sky, noticing at least twenty more behind it. 'How did the griffons learn to make these?' He shoved that thought aside as he flung himself towards the rocket, but he stopped as he sensed what felt like anti-source metal in the tip of the warhead. 'Where could the griffons possibly lay their claws upon that?' he asked himself. 'No matter, it cannot stop me.' Knowing that if the missile exploded next to him, the anti-source metal in the blast might tear through his magical defenses, possibly wounding him.

But with a smirk he threw himself under the missile and grabbed the part that was simply regular metal, stopping the rocket in the air. He then chucked the missile into its brethren, where he fired a bolt of lightning from his fingertips into it. He watched from a safe distance as all of the missiles destroyed each other, pondering something to himself.

"And that is that. Still, I am amazed that the griffons would try something so bold after what I did to their army," Adam muttered as he looked off towards the Griffon Kingdom, narrowing his eyes as he did so. 'I have been meaning to pay them a visit for a while now. Perhaps it is time that I did.' He shot off towards the Griffon Kingdom in a flash, planning to make sure that the griffons never bothered the ponies again.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"Will it work, Father?" a griffon asked the older one next to her, both of them on a balcony that stood out over the castle that rested below them. The older griffon with the crown on his head had one eye pressed against a telescope, watching the devices they had launched sail across the sky towards his most hated enemies.

"It is our only hope, Daughter. Those in the cloaks told me that this material can cancel out any magic it comes into contact with, even Black Adam's," said the old king, Garda. 'Hopefully he is arrogant enough that he will destroy the weapon with his bare hands, killing him in the--' The king never finished his thought as he watched a bolt of lightning descend off in the distance, followed by a large number of explosions. Then he saw the figure flying towards them. "Daughter, inside." The young adult never asked her father what was wrong, she simply obeyed. The two ran inside of the palace while the king yelled to the guards to take up battle positions.

"What is wrong, my dear?" the queen griffon asked him, running over to him from their thrones. The king opened his mouth to answer when the doors to the throne room were blasted off their hinges by a bolt of lightning, hurling them past the king, queen and princess and embedding both of them in the walls. All three of the griffons looked through the smoke that had been created by the lightning bolt to see a figure float into the throne room, only his golden eyes and crackling thunderbolt visible through the smoke.

The guards that had been beside the throne let out a scream as they charged the intruder, but the moment they struck him lightning coursed through their bodies and they all collapsed to the floor. Black Adam then turned his eyes to the king. Both he and the queen were standing behind the princess, who had a blade drawn.

"Stay back monster, I will not allow you to harm my father!" the princess spat as she charged at Black Adam with blade pointed at him. Black Adam swatted the sword out of the griffon's claw, the force of the blow tossing the griffon into the air, where she caught herself with her wings.

"How dare you enter my kingdom and do this to my family!" Garda yelled at Black Adam, but a clap of thunder silenced the king. Both he and his wife cowered before Black Adam as he glared down at them with the power of lightning itself in his eyes. The princess threw herself at Black Adam again, but faster than the brain could see Black Adam's arm shot out and grabbed her by the throat, suspending her in the air as the princess struggled to escape.

"Do you know how many lives your missiles could have ended?" Black Adam asked the king, who looked up at Adam with confusion on his face. "All of the innocents that could have lost their lives had I not intervened? Why do you continue to wage destruction against the ponies? What have they done to you?"

"They have done nothing!" the old griffon spat back. "I desire their land and I will have it, even if I have to go through Celestia's pet to have it! The griffons of old have always been held back by the princesses and their treaties, but I will not be any longer! Griffons are superior and should rule over all!"

"And how many griffons did you send to their deaths against me?" Black Adam asked him before letting go of the princess and allowing her to fall to the floor, where she began to gasp for air. "Did you truly believe that they could defeat me? And if not, why send them to invade? They stood no chance!" To his surprise the king began to laugh before glaring at Adam again.

"I care not how many have to die! The griffons obey me without question! As long as we rule over all in the end, then I will continue to send as many to their demise as needed!" Black Adam seethed at the griffon king's words, yet out of the corner of his eye he saw the princess looking at her father with the same look of disgust in her eyes. Black Adam reigned himself in a little before his hand shot out and grabbed the griffon king by the throat.

"You are a failure as a king," Black Adam whispered to him as he tightened his grip, the king gasping for air as he futilely clawed at Adam's hands. "A king's greatest duty is to his own people, but you care as little for them as I do for you. Your kingdom deserves better. Both kingdoms do. Both the ponies and the griffons deserve a world without war. But that world cannot exist with you in it. Either cease this wanton destruction and swear to never harm the ponies again, or face my wrath," he snarled, seeing the fear form in the king's eyes. Adam was still debating whether he should kill the king or send him to the Phantom Zone when the princess spoke up.

"I...I will agree to that!" Both Black Adam and the king turned their heads to the princess, who was back to her feet as she looked up at Black Adam. "When I become queen, I will agree to that and any other terms that you have! But all I ask in return is that you spare my father! Please! He may be scum, but he is family!" Black Adam looked at the princess for a moment before he looked back to the king, a thin smile spreading on his face.

"Very well, Child, I agree," Black Adam said before he lifted the griffon king over his head and slammed him back first onto his knee, hearing the griffon scream as his back shattered. Adam then tossed the griffon to the ground, looking to the princess as the king's wife ran over to him. "It seems that your father is no longer fit to be king. I congratulate you on your rise to the throne." Adam then turned to leave as the princess ran to her father's side, but then Black Adam stopped and looked back at the princess.

"Remember what you promised or I will return."

Adam waited until the princess nodded before he shot off into the sky, leaving a broken king of the past to glare at him and a new queen to watch him go.

"You are weak," Garda muttered to his daughter. "We deserve to rule over everything, yet you let that being intimidate you. You are a failure as my daughter."

"No, I am the griffon that saved your life," the now queen muttered as she reached down and took the crown from her father, placing it upon her head. "Even though you didn't deserve it. But I am no longer just your daughter, I am ruler now. I am Gilda, Queen of the Griffons."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"So, you did not kill him?" Celestia asked Black Adam in surprise, once he had reported back to her about what had transpired within the griffon kingdom. Adam smiled at the shock on her face as he crossed his arms and looked out over the sunny landscape.

"He was a threat to your ponies, therefore I had to deal with him without resorting to lethal force," Black Adam replied with a smirk, getting Celestia to roll her eyes. But then she looked up at him with a smile as she gently nudged him with her wing. "I am glad to see that you are taking my words to heart. You may be the champion you wished to be yet."

"Maybe," Adam muttered as he looked down. "But now we finally have peace with the dragons and with the griffons. Maybe now your ponies will not be in such danger anymore." Celestia turned to leave the balcony they were standing on, but then she stopped as she turned back to Black Adam.

"Teth?" she hesitantly asked, snapping Black Adam out of his thoughts while he looked at her. "May I...share my thoughts?" Adam nodded and Celestia took in a deep breath while gathering her courage. "My sister once said to me that you were a power-hungry man who would one day turn against us when you believed the time to be right. I have never believed those words...until you returned to the human world, having killed the Wizard and stealing his powers," she began in a near whisper, Black Adam listening to every word.

"Sometimes when I look at you, I wonder what happened to the regular human that you used to be, the one who threw himself in front of a blast of magic to protect a filly despite the harm it caused him. When I look at you, now all I see is Black Adam. I no longer see Teth. I am afraid, Teth," she said quietly. "Afraid that one day you may turn into the being that my sister described, the being that only hungers for power and revenge."

"I assure you Celestia, that will not happen." Celestia looked back at Adam with a flicker of hope in her eyes, but that hope was surrounded by doubt.

"Then prove it to me," she whispered. "Speak the word. Return to Teth. Show me that you are not a god with power to strike down your foes, show me that you are still Teth, a good man who sacrificed himself to protect others. Prove to me that you can give up the power willingly." Black Adam looked at her for a long moment, torn between conflicting thoughts. He opened his mouth to answer her as a guard burst onto the balcony.

"Princess! There's...something in the throne room!" he yelled with blood trickling down the side of his face. Both Black Adam and Celestia raced past him and to the throne room, where they threw open the doors and walked inside. The guards that had been in the room all lay shredded on the floor, but while Celestia looked at them with horror, Black Adam's eyes were glued to the figure sitting upon the throne.

He wore black armor that was covered with both skulls and spikes, and the blood of the guards still running down his demonic gauntlets. His helmet was Spartan-like with twin horns protruding from the side of it, while a cape could be seen attached to his shoulder pads. But what drew Adam's eyes was the face, a dark face with piercing red eyes, eyes that hungered with the desire for both battle and blood. The moment the being saw Adam, he spoke.

"I had wondered for years where you had gone to," he said in an ancient voice that made Adam want to attack him then and there. "I had thought that you might have died, but to think that you were here...protecting these, beasts of burden? Where did your desire for blood go Adam? Where is the warrior that I saw potential in?"

"Teth, who is this?" Celestia asked Black Adam, who narrowed his eyes as he took up a fighting stance.

"That is Ares. God of War."

Author's Note

The projector is a bit of a mix from StAS and Batman Beyond 2.0

Gods of War

Adam's eyes crackled with both power and rage as he glared upon the dark and bloodied figure that sat upon Celestia's throne, snarling at Ares, who gave him a similar look in return. Adam placed himself between the god and Celestia to be safe before he started interrogating the intruder.

"Why are you here, Ares? I highly doubt that you came to such a peaceful world to find war," Black Adam snarled at Ares, who smirked as he looked down at his palm.

"I will not deny that this world is truly devoid of the rage and bloodlust that sustains me, but there have been improvements in the years since you have been here, fool," Ares said with a smile on his face, but behind him Adam could feel Celestia trembling slightly at what Ares was saying...not the words alone, but the voice behind those words. The voice of an immortal being who had little regard for life outside of combat. "But to answer your inquiry, I am here for you, Black Adam."

Adam hid the surprise that he felt with rage. "I assume that you only come now due to my arrival back on my home planet? But what do you want with me? I want nothing to do with Earth nor the people on it. This is where I protect now, so if you are trying to offer me a deal--"

"You are truly far dumber than I had originally believed," Ares cut him off with a scowl. Adam wanted to tear his jaw off right there for the insult. "I am not here to bargain with you, I am here because you owe me something, you pitiful excuse for a warrior." The more Ares spoke, the more it terrified Celestia, and from the way the two were speaking with each other, it was clear they had met before. And if they had met, then Ares would not be antagonizing the strongest being she knew unless his power matched Adam's.

"I owe you nothing, God of War! I want nothing to do with you," Black Adam snarled at Ares as he let electricity crackle all along his body. "Now leave this land and do not come back or I will resort to extreme force. And trust me when I say this Ares, you do not wish to fight me with the power that I now wield." Ares tilted his head back and let a dry chuckle escape his lips as his red eyes narrowed at Black Adam.

"There you go, that is what I am speaking of. The Adam that I prized above all other warriors would have torn my head off at the sight of me, yet you have been tamed by the ponies and allowed yourself to go soft," Ares scoffed at Adam as he rose to his feet. Celestia suddenly felt the desire to attack him despite knowing that he was out of her league. "But I cannot solely blame the ponies for your weakness. There was also your people and your family. They held you back from being the bloodthirsty warrior that I knew you to be."

"Do not speak as if you know what they did for me," Black Adam whispered in a deadly voice as he slowly began to move towards the God of War. "They did not weaken me; they made me strong. Far stronger than I could have ever hoped to be by fighting for revenge. I fight for others now, not my revenge." This time Ares threw back his head and let a hearty chuckle echo across the room, eyes shining with mirth while he looked down at Adam.

"I do not believe you," Ares retorted. "You are a creature of vengeance, and I can prove it to you within moments." When Adam's eyes dared Ares to go on, Ares smiled with bloody teeth. "Do you not find it odd that there were only a handful of American soldiers in your home to fight next to Doomsday? Did you not think something was strange? Or how a nuclear warhead managed to sneak itself into your city while you were there? Even if you were battling with Doomsday, surely you would have noticed."

Adam thought about Ares' words for a moment, before his eyes went wide and he staggered back with shock clearly written on his face. "You..." Adam whispered.

"Yes, I am the one who destroyed your home. I convinced the leaders of America to send a small squadron of meta-human soldiers into your land by convincing them that you were a threat. I freed Doomsday from his prison within space, that you granted to him, and I was the soldier that pushed the button, killing everything you cared about," Ares pridefully admitted to the horrified faces of both Celestia and Black Adam.

"Why?" Adam said in a whisper, a whisper that was filled with both wrath and pain.

"Because I knew that you are far too ignorant to stop and think for a moment, that if your nation was attacked and I placed a few breadcrumbs, that you would not rest until you had wiped those who had hurt your nation off the planet," Ares said as he conjured images out of blood, images of Adam tearing through the United States' leaders. "That you would kill all those whom you believed to have wronged you and your people. That is why I chose you. Because you are stronger than Superman, far more magical than Captain Marvel, and one of the most brutal fighters known to man. In your enraged state, you would have given the entire human race the bloodiest war that had ever been seen in the history of bloodshed."

"And sustaining you," Adam said in a barely audible whisper. Ares looked at the figures in the blood for a moment before crushing them within his grasp.

"But then something happened that I could not have predicted. In your state, you allowed a moment of blindness to defeat you, to allow Diana and her league to strip you of your powers and send you back into the unknown. Yet I was not worried," Ares said. "You had returned before and you would again, all I had to do was wait. But then I received the greatest of shocks when I sensed your magic back on Earth, and yet you had not engaged in war with those whom you believed to have wronged you. So I followed you here and what did my eyes see? Black Adam, one of the mightiest warriors, protecting beasts of burden. I have slain many men and watched as humanity committed atrocities that could never be repeated, and yet that was the sight that made me ill. How could you allow yourself to fall so far?"

"All that death, all of those lives lost, just so you could use me to cause more death and destruction," Adam said as he looked down at his hands, the realization of what he would have done, the atrocities he would have committed, had the wizard and the heroes not stopped him. And then he remembered why he had killed the wizard. 'Forgive me Shazam, once again I am the fool.'

"Yes, but since you no longer have the fighting desire that you once had, I have decided that there is only one thing left I can gain from you," Ares said as he pulled a massive, blood-stained claymore out of his right hand, and a blackened mace with his other hand. "You will give me a battle of the ages. And then I will kill you." Black Adam did not move for another moment as he still looked down at his hands, before he slowly raised his eyes towards the god, with one emotion running through them.

Absolute hatred.

"You wish for a battle god?" Black Adam roared as lightning flung itself from his body and tore apart the room around him. "I will give you WAR!" Ares laughed when Adam threw himself at the god, the two of them colliding in the center of the room. Celestia had to construct a barrier of magic to keep the shockwave from tearing her apart, but to her horror when she looked at the two, she found that Ares had barely budged...and was matching Black Adam's strength.

"Good Adam. It seems I chose my champion well," Ares chuckled before driving his boot into Adam's gut to push him back, before driving the mace right under Adam's jaw. The godly strength that flowed through Ares gave him the power to hurl Adam through the ceiling and far above the city. Ares then looked down at Celestia, who was frozen simply at the sight of his power. "Come beast, there is much I wish to show you." Ares rose out of the hole that he had caused and waited upon the castle roof for Adam to return, which he did in seconds.

"Allow me to ask you a question, Adam, what is better than two immortal beings fighting in a battle?" Ares asked Black Adam, whose response was to blast Ares' chest with lightning and send him skidding back. Adam followed up with a knee to the gut and an elbow to the side of the face, spinning Ares around. Black Adam then put his shoulder to the back of Ares' neck and wrapped his fingers around the god's jaw, allowing him to flip Ares over his shoulder and throw him through the castle walls and into the streets below. Ares chuckled as he pulled himself out of the crater he had made, and he looked up at Black Adam and Celestia. "A battle that allows anyone to enter."

Ares snapped his fingers and a pulse of red energy emerged from him, quickly covering the entire city. Adam snarled as he prepared to attack when he heard shouting, and he looked down the street to see that ponies were now fighting with each other, some of them looking like they were going to kill the others. He tried to stop the fighting but was quickly pulled to the ground by a chain that Ares wrapped around his leg, allowing the god to drag Adam under his boot.

"What now, Protector?" Ares mocked as Adam struggled to push the boot off of him. "You wish to protect these beasts, yet you cannot both fight me and protect them. How will you manage to--?" Ares stopped talking as Celestia flew by them and in between the fighting ponies, using her magic to push them apart.

"Do not worry about them Teth, I can keep them safe," Celestia said to him with a smile. "Focus all of your efforts on the foe before you." Adam smiled at her words before he drove his fist into the side of Ares' knee, collapsing the god to one knee. Adam rolled to his feet and kicked Ares squarely in the jaw, sending him flying backwards across the ground. Adam threw a right hook at the god that was blocked, and Ares retaliated with a chop that caught Adam in the face, stunning him for a moment. A warhammer was the next sight to greet Adam as Ares drove the hammer into his face, hurling him through the upper levels of Canterlot and into the lower ones.

"Are you truly trying to defeat me at the very activity that sustains me?" Ares chuckled as Adam shot back up and drove himself into Ares, grasping his head with both hands as he began to crush the helmet and skull of the god. Ares fired off a blast of energy that knocked Adam back as he changed weapons to a spear, motioning for Adam to attack. Adam narrowed his eyes as he brought both of his fists up, throwing a kick that Ares blocked with the spear. Adam followed up with a flurry of punches that were all expertly blocked by Ares, who laughed at the frustration on Adam's face.

"I have been alive since the world first came into creation. I am the one who taught humans how to fight, how to wage war and how to kill," Ares boasted as he flipped under a kick by Adam and brought the butt of the spear into Adam's gut before driving the blade towards his face. Adam parried with his gauntlets and drove his elbow into Ares' jaw, knocking the god back. "You may have been alive for over five thousands years, but I have far more experience than you. What do you hold over me?"

"Hatred and drive," Adam snarled back as he muttered spells under his breath, causing thunderous clouds to surround Ares. Ares barely had time to react as magical bolts of lighting began to strike him from all sides within the clouds, stunning him long enough so that Adam could kick the spear out of his grasp and seize his chest plate with both hands. With a roar Adam channeled his electrical magic into Ares, who also roared as the lightning tore through him. Adam ceased the spell to drive his fist into Ares' face and drive him through the streets beneath him.

"You will pay, Ares. For the lives of my people, and any others who have lost their lives due to your greed and hunger for war," Black Adam whispered as he stalked Ares, who had arisen from where Adam had driven him, with a smile.

"I am a god. I do not have to do anything," Ares smirked as he pulled out a new blade, one that even Adam looked at with trepidation. It had a black skull that connected the hilt to the blade, a blade that was stained red with the blood of those who had fallen to its sting. Ares took up a fighting stance as did Adam, both of them measuring each other before they clashed again. Adam ducked under the Ares' swing and caught him with a side kick to the leg, almost driving Ares to his knees. Ares blocked Adam's second strike with the side of his sword and pushed Adam back, quickly spinning the blade towards Adam.

"ARGH!" Black Adam cried as he felt the blade bite into his leg, forcing Adam back as he fired more lightning at Ares to prevent him from pressing the attack. Adam chanced a glance down at his leg to see that the blade had caused a good sized gash, and he was beginning to lose blood.

"Even with your powers Adam, stronger magic can still cut through you as if you were a mortal," Ares chuckled as he pointed the tip of the sword at the lighting bolt on Adam's chest. "And this blade is the essence of war, the magical weapon that is infused with my spirit. Even you will fall to its wrath. It will not be easy, but you shall fall." Adam's response was to spit into the ground as he glared up at Ares.

"And I am the embodiment of the greatest Egyptian gods within one champion," Adam retorted as he let lightning flash through his hand before grasping the wound with that same hand, letting the lightning burn his leg to stop the flow of blood. Once the flow of blood had been stemmed, Adam looked back up at Ares with hatred. "Now come, let us continue."

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"Stop!" Celestia cried out as two ponies went at each other with bloodlust in their eyes, one holding a pair of scissors and the other the broken hilt of a broom. She barely got the spell up in time to separate the two before she used her magic to place the both of them in a trance, giving her a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. That moment was shattered when she heard a cry of pain and turned around to see that a pony had been killed by the magic of a unicorn, who was now strangling another with her magic.

"Enough!" Celestia cried out as she knocked that unicorn down with a blast of magic. "Can you not see that you are under a spell?" she asked the unicorn in desperation.

"Who cares? All I want now is to kill!" the unicorn roared as she tried to fight against Celestia's magic, forcing Celestia to knock her out as well so that she could not harm any others. As Celestia lifted her head and looked upon all of the ponies who were now trying to kill each other, for a brief moment she was reminded of the alien that had tried to attack her in the Phantom Zone.

'No, I will not allow our nation to fall into such a state!' she thought to herself as she took to the skies and began to fire more knock out spells upon the ponies who were trying to harm others. She took aim at a couple when a blast of magic clipped her in the wing and forced her to the ground, where she landed on her hooves and erected a barrier to protect herself from the spells that were hurled at her. The magic was strong, but the five unicorns could not overcome her alicorn magic and quickly found themselves asleep on the ground as well.

"I do not know how much longer I can keep this up," Celestia panted heavily as she took a moment to recover, ignoring the pain in her wing as she looked around at all the bloodshed. "But I can't stop fighting. If Teth is too focused on trying to save us, then he may fall to the God of War. Heh, never thought I would see the day where I believe Adam could lose." She heard more screaming, so she ran down the road to the source of the cries, but to her absolute horror she did not see two or three ponies trying to kill each other. She saw two armies of civilians preparing to face off.

"This is not happening!" she yelled as she flung herself between the two forces, switching to her regal voice. "All of you cease this at once and return to your homes! This is an order of the Princess!" But to her shock, the ponies barely paid her any mind as their red eyes were far too focused on the ponies across from them. Celestia spun around to face the other army, but in a moment she thought that she had seen a pony in a black cloak within the ranks. When she blinked it was gone, but then both forces let out a scream and nearly converged upon her. She cast two barriers to try and keep them apart, but the sheer volume of ponies shattered the spell, allowing the two armies to begin killing each other.

"Stop this! Cease!" she screamed from above them once she had taken to the skies, trying to keep as many ponies from killing each other as possible. "Stop! I order you to stop! Please!" But her cries were to no avail as none of the ponies listened to her, for all around her were the cries of war and death...and she was powerless to stop them. "Please, stop...listen to me," she begged as she tried her best to stop them, but it was too late. The center of Canterlot was now the site of a massive battle.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Adam felt his cheek scream with pain as he barely moved his head out of the way of the Warbringer, which then cut through a building that had been behind Adam. Ares smirked as he switched his grip and sliced the whole building in half while he tried to cleave Adam in two. Black Adam managed to bring his right gauntlet up in time to deflect the strike, but the enchanted blade almost cut his guard in half as well.

"Do you now see how futile it is to fight against War?" Ares asked as he began to push against Adam, who resisted as the blade cut deeper and deeper into his guard. In an instant, Black Adam kicked his own feet out from underneath of himself and allowed himself to fall back, taking Ares with him as he rolled and placed both of his boots into Ares' gut. He kicked with all of his might and forced Ares into the air, allowing Adam to get back up and giving him the chance to tear the blade out of his gauntlet and toss it off into the distance.

"A valiant effort," Ares said as he floated above Adam, reaching through a red vortex to draw the blade once again. "But I am War. All weapons obey my will." Ares hurled himself at Adam again and Adam caught Ares' wrist so that he couldn't swing at him. The two shook as they each tried to overpower the other. Adam narrowed his eyes as he prepared a trick he had been saving.

"SHAZAM!" The divine lightning came to his aid and struck Ares in the back, causing the God of War to roar in pain while the lightning of the gods tore into his armor. Ares backed away from Adam with his armor smoldering and a stunned look in his eyes. Taking the opportunity, Adam gave Ares a 'round-house' kick to the side of the head and sent him skyward. Adam took to the sky to follow him and drove his fist into the flying Ares' face, sending the god into the side of the mountain that Canterlot rested upon.

"It seems that I am not the only one who is vulnerable to superior magic," Adam taunted as Ares shakily pulled himself out of the side of the mountain, finally looking up at Black Adam with rage in his eyes. But then a smile crossed Ares face as he drew his blade once again.

"Yes, but you seem to forget the other vulnerability that you have...Protector!" Ares turned and sliced the top off the mountain, grabbing it with both of his hands and hurling it up at Adam. Adam allowed it to slam into him so that he could catch it, knowing that if he destroyed it the mountain would not hit Canterlot. So with an effort, he lifted the mountain above his head and hurled it towards where the Everfree Forest once stood. With the mountain safely disposed of, Adam drove himself back at Ares. He dodged the swing Ares took at him and caught him in the gut with his knee, allowing him to grab Ares by the throat and hold the god up.

"This ends now, Ares. You will pay," Adam snarled as he tightened his grip, but Ares let out another laugh as he looked past Adam to the city.

"Are you sure? Because it looks like they could use your help right now." Adam punched Ares in the face and sent him into the smooth surface from which he had cut off the mountain, so that he could turn to look behind him. And the sight shocked him. The magical supports that held Canterlot to the mountain had been cleaved and from the red marks it was clear who had done that. But without the supports to hold the city in place...

"No," Adam whispered. He tried to take off, but another set of chains wrapped themselves around his neck, forcing him to his knees while Ares channeled his power through the chains. As Adam struggled against the chains, he could still see what was happening to Canterlot. Cantelot was falling to the ground far below it.

And if he did not catch it, everypony would die.

Champion of the Queen

Adam strained against his metal bonds with his godly strength and shattered the chains to free himself. The moment the bonds had been broken, he hurled himself towards the falling city. He placed himself underneath the center of the city and muttered words of magic, coursing his lightning through the city so that it would not break in half from the strain. Black Adam then pushed against the city with all of his might, feeling it begin to slow despite its weight.

"Truly you have allowed yourself to fall," Ares sighed as he drew a bow with arrows from his arsenal, taking aim at the dark hero underneath of the city. "So you shall fall with them." Ares released his grip and three arrows flew true towards their target, who was far too busy trying to keep the city from falling to notice the impending attack. But only as the three barbed arrowheads embedded themselves into his arms and right leg did Adam notice them. But then he gritted his teeth in pain, forcing himself to keep pushing.

'No...I will not let my weakness get the better of me again!' he roared in his mind as his boots slammed into the ground far beneath where Canterlot had originally rested, giving him one last chance to save the city. With a yell to the heavens asking the gods for strength, Adam pushed against the city, breaking its fall mere feet from the ground. With one last push he held the city of Canterlot above his head. Then, with a sigh if exhaustion he dropped it to the ground in front of him, shaking the landscape around him, but the city remained in one piece.

"Well done, I did not know if you would do it." Black Adam spun in time to feel the blade of war slash across his chest, causing Adam to roar in pain as Ares followed up the slash with a boot to the nose, bringing Adam down to his knees while his vision began to blur from the pain. "Hurts, doesn't it?" Ares asked Adam as he placed a boot onto Adam's face, slowly pushing down with all of his godly power. "You are not as almighty as you believed yourself to be, are you? Now then, Adam, it is time that I sent you to visit my uncle. Please give him my greetings once you are down there."

Ares lifted the blade over his head as he prepared to strike down with the sword, yet Adam managed to get a hand underneath of his boot and, with a push, hurl the god into the air. He forced himself back to his feet before he tore the arrows from his limbs.

'I have lost a decent amount of blood,' he thought as he turned his eyes back up to the God of War that floated above him, bow drawn once again. 'I cannot let this fight be prolonged.' With the power of Amon giving him strength, he shot into the air and drove his shoulder into Ares once again, taking the two of them across the sky as the twin gods battled it out. Ares drove his fist into Adam's wound on his leg, but Adam gritted his teeth before driving his skull into Ares' helmet, snapping Ares head back with the force.

"You have fought like a warrior, now it is time you die like one," Ares chuckled before both of his hands were filled with red power, and he clamped them around both sides of Adam's skull. Adam cried out as the red power began to tear apart his face, filling him with unimaginable pain. "This is what happens when you challenge me at my own game." Adam drove his fist into Ares' skull to separate the two of them, but the pain prevented him from concentrating and he crashed into the streets far below. Black Adam groaned as he pulled his head out of the rubble to see the tip of a sword pointed at his face.

"It is over," Ares muttered before striking.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Celestia cried out as a spell caught her in the side, staggering her slightly while she tried to keep herself vertical. She threw up another barrier to deflect the other spells that came her way before she unleashed her spells upon those same ponies. Once she had them incapacitated, Celestia looked over the battle with regret and pain in her eyes.

'Why? Why can I not save them?' she whispered within her own thoughts as she looked around at all of the death that had been wrought by Ares and his spell. The once peaceful ponies of her kingdom were trying to slaughter each other, and even with her interference they seemed to be hell bent on doing so. 'I have to think of something, some way that I can get them to stop!' A cry of pain turned her back to the battle and Celestia ran between a large number of unicorns who were firing at each other, throwing up a barrier to deflect the magic away from each of them.

"Cease this, please! Can you not see that you are simply under a spell?" Celestia called out, yet it proved as futile as the other times, for not for an instant did the ponies stop trying to kill those around them. Celestia roared as she expanded the barrier and knocked those ponies off of their hooves, but the effort left her tired and drained. She turned her head back to where a large group was fighting when a spell struck her in the side of the head, her eyes filling with tears as she was flung into the side of a building and collapsed to the ground. The pain coursing through her body was too great for her to overcome.

'Why? Why am I always so powerless to save those I care about?' she thought as she tried to lift her head to no avail, forcing her to watch as the ponies she had sworn to protect slayed each other in the rage in which Ares had put them.

'A true ruler rules their emotions, not the other way around! You were never fit to rule this land, you were too soft!' Luna's words echoed through her head and they hurt worse than any physical pain that she was currently going through. Celestia knew that she was right, that she had never been the strong ruler like her father or her sister had been.

'Is that why I can't protect them? Because I am too weak?' Celestia asked herself as she closed her eyes, accepting her weakness. 'I am, Sister, maybe you were right about--' Then the ground exploded from a distance away and Celestia opened her eyes again to see Black Adam struggling to pull himself out of the dirt. She then watched as Ares appeared behind him with his blade in hand, and she wasn't even able to call out as Ares drove the blade through Adam's gut, who coughed up blood as he looked up at the smiling face of Ares.

But then to Celestia's amazement, Black Adam reached down and grabbed the hilt of the blade, screaming with pain as he began to pull the blade out of his gut against the might of Ares. Adam drove his boot into Ares' chest to push the god back, long enough for him to pull the blade out of his gut. Then Adam rose back to his feet and drove his fist into Ares' face, sending him flying through a number of buildings. Adam collapsed to his knees again as he held a hand to his stomach, where blood poured from him.

'He...he will not stay down,' Celestia thought to herself as Adam shouted some words to the sky, using his lightning to burn his wounds shut once again, before pushing himself back up to his feet. Despite the pain that she could still see on his face, Adam took to the sky once again continuing the fight. Upon seeing Black Adam and the pain he had endured, as well as his will to keep going, Celestia felt a new sense of power flooding through her.

'And neither will I! Maybe it is time I take a page out of Teth's book! Maybe it is time I show them that I am strong!' She then flung her wings out as she took to the sky, casting a magic barrier around herself while she looked for where the largest number of ponies were fighting. Upon seeing that place, she hurled herself into the ground at their center, kicking up a massive cloud of dust and rubble as she impacted the earth. The ponies stopped their battle momentarily to see the impact, but then their eyes widened in horror as they saw Celestia emerge from the crater, her mane a crimson fire that burned with all of her rage, and her eyes glowed with orange light. Her coat now had hints of red within it.

"That is ENOUGH!" she roared to the ponies fighting, the force of her royal voice blowing some of the combatants right off of their hooves. Her presence was enough to cause the ponies to back away from her as she walked through their ranks, making sure that all of the fighting had stopped before she began to speak. "If you foals will not listen to reason, then you will listen to one that is stronger than you could ever imagine! Now then, stand DOWN!" She could see from some of the ponies' eyes that they were hesitant on whether to continue the battle or not, but there were far more defiant eyes within the crowd. One of the ponies fired a blast at Celestia, yet her mane caught the spell and burned it to ash, causing her to slowly turn to face the pony with fire burning in her eyes.

"If you foals want war, then I will give you war!" she roared as she allowed her magic to wash over all of them, allowing them to feel the depths of power than an alicorn wielded. "This is your last chance to surrender! I am your princess...no, I am your QUEEN! My word is absolute and I will be obeyed! Now either bow to me or FALL TO ME!" For a moment Celestia believed that she would have to carry out that threat, but then to her joy, the ponies stopped fighting with each other and all fell to their knees before her. 'They are listening to me! I am strong!' She sighed in relief as she allowed her mane to return to normal, smiling at the ponies, but her eyes still told them that she was not to be messed with.

"This is my order to all of you. Go into the streets and stop any fighting that you see between ponies. Unicorns that know sleeping spells, use them without hesitation. Remember, you are fighting to save the lives of your fellow ponies, so be strong and do not fall for Ares' tricks again!" she roared before turning to where she had seen Adam and Ares fly away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to repay a debt that I owe." She spread her wings and took to the skies, hoping that her ponies would be able to stave off Ares' power long enough for Adam to defeat him.

'And he will defeat him,' she thought with confidence before a hint of doubt entered her mind. 'It is what he will do after that, that has me afraid.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

Adam roared as he drove his fist with all his might into Ares' face, knocking the helmet from his head and sending Ares straight down into the floor of the castle. Adam reached down and pulled Ares out of the stone to lift him over his head, shocking him with his power before driving him back down into the floor again.

"This ends today, Ares! For all of my people that you killed!" Adam roared as he drove lefts and rights into Ares' skull, shattering the castle around them from the force of his blows. Ares flashed red and vanished from underneath of Adam, appearing behind him with sword in hand. Adam spun around to catch the blade between his hands before it could tear into him, the two straining against each other as they matched their strength. Adam overpowered Ares and drove his knee into the groin of the god, doubling over Ares as Adam took his blade and drove his knee into the side of it, shattering it in half.

"H-how..." Ares asked him weakly before throwing a punch at Adam, a punch that was blocked and countered with a backhand that hurled Ares through the castle wall. Adam tossed the shattered pieces of the blade to the floor before he staggered after Ares, finding the god struggling to his feet in the gardens. Ares drew his spear once again and lunged at Adam, who sliced the tip of the spear off of the staff with his hand before driving his other fist into Ares' side, knocking him to the ground. "You should not still be able to stand. Not after the suffering you have endured."

"You took my nation...my kingdom...and my people from me. Nothing you do to this body...will ever compare to the pain I feel for losing them!" Adam roared as he kicked Ares to the side, giving him an angry glare as thunderclouds began to flash overhead.

Ares shot up and kicked Adam in the gut, doubling Adam over and giving Ares the chance to drive one of his spiked elbows into Adam's back. Adam roared before punching Ares in the knee, smiling with satisfaction when he heard the bone break. As Ares fell to one knee Adam grabbed him by his hair and yanked his head back, unleashing his lightning into Ares' skull. The skull could be seen through Ares skin due to the electricity that was being poured into him, but it was not enough for Black Adam. Adam grabbed Ares by the neck and lifted him up, drove his fist into Ares' back. The god yelled in pain as Adam continued to drive his fist into Ares, not stopping until he had punched a hole through both Ares' armor and the god himself.

"This...is for my home," Adam spat as he hurled Ares to the ground, placing his hand on his knees while he took a moment. Then the rage within his heart fueled him even further and Adam began to stalk towards Ares, who was trying to get back up. Adam grabbed his neck to pull him back up before he drove his fist into Ares' face and sent him back into the ground again.

"This...is for the innocents that you tricked me into killing!" Adam screamed as he electrified his fist and shattered Ares' jaw with the blow, sending the God of War skyward in an arc over the city. Adam shot up after him and caught Ares in the air, the thunderclouds unleashing their torrent upon the two as Adam glared at the being who took everything from him.

"And this..." he began as the storm clouds thundered along with his words. "Is for my people!" Adam drove his fist into Ares' jaw and sent the god even higher, before Adam followed up with a knee to the jaw as well. Then Adam caught him by the throat and screamed into the sky, "SHAZAM!" The word called down the lightning as Adam threw Ares towards the ground and moved out of the way, allowing the god to feel the full brunt of what the lightning did to one who was not chosen to be a champion. Ares was cast down with the lightning into the center of the city before the lightning exploding upon him with its almighty power. Adam then finished the blow by driving both of his boots into the spine of the fallen god, shattering both the armor and the being within.

"And with that...it is over," Adam said before he sighed, looking down at Ares.

'Not yet Adam, he must pay,' the voice of Isis whispered into his ear. Adam's face hardened as he advanced towards Ares once again, but to his surprise Ares spun and tried to strike Adam with one of his hands. Adam was fast enough to catch the strike and the following strike that Ares attempted.

"How...how can you be so strong?" Ares weakly muttered as Adam glared into his eyes with power. "I am a god! An immortal being! How can you--?"

"Because I am not just a mortal with the power of a god," Adam muttered as he narrowed his eyes at Ares. "I am a champion with the power of six gods within him. And against that kind of might, it is no surprise that you lost. But...I must thank you for something," Adam admitted, causing Ares to look at him with complete shock. "If you had not tricked me into attacking the U.S., I would have never come here, never realized what a failure I had become as a champion. But I have redeemed myself, I have become the champion that I was supposed to be. Now allow me to show you my gratitude!" Adam then pulled against Ares with all of his might, tearing both of Ares' arms straight from his body. That God of War screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from the wounds.

"And now, I finish this...and avenge my people!" Adam roared as he grabbed Ares by the throat and lifted him up, the cloud thundering with anticipation of what was to be spoken. "SHA-"

"Teth!" Black Adam stopped mid-word and looked to the sky to see Celestia flying towards him, managing to stay aloft despite looking like she had been through a war. She skidded to a stop next to him and for a moment he saw horror in her eyes as she looked at what Adam had done to Ares, but then she shook her head and gave Adam a weak smile. "I am glad that I found you. When I saw that you had been impaled I was afraid that..."

"You can see that I have lived," Black Adam said before he turned back to Ares, drawing his hand back to finish off Ares. "Sadly, Ares will not be able to say the same."

"You think you can kill me? I am a god! I am immortal!" Ares groaned, but Adam chuckled at the words.

"That is what all gods say, until the are slain," Black Adam snarled as he prepared to strike, but when he attempted to do so, he felt Celestia's magic holding his arm back. "Why do you stop me, Celestia?" Adam asked without turning. "You have seen what he has done to me, to the both of us. He deserves what I am to do to him."

"He is a threat to my people, to all of us," Celestia agreed before strengthening her magic. "So that is why I expect you to let him live. Remember your promise?" Adam snarled at her, but this time her eyes shone back with a fire he had never seen before. There was a newfound strength in her eyes.

"You cannot stop me," Black Adam growled, but Celestia didn't look impressed. She then looked around both of them, Adam following her gaze to see the ponies of Canterlot, all of whom were looking upon the scene. "Why are they here? It is dangerous."

"No, I can't stop you. But I shouldn't have to," Celestia began as her eyes softened at the sight of her subjects. "They are afraid Teth, they are afraid of Ares. He didn't just attack our home, he forced these normally kind and caring ponies to fight each other to the death. They were forced to kill their friends and families due to his magic, something that they may never forgive him for. They see him as a monster.

"As they should," both Ares and Teth said at the same time, Teth tightening his grip on Ares' throat to shut him up.

"Yet, Ares has been defeated and peace has seemingly returned to my land," Celestia said. "You have saved them. But now all eyes are on you Teth, the ponies are now waiting to see who you are. As terrified as they are of Ares, they do not know whether they should thank you or be afraid of you. They still remember the promise you made to me, that you would not kill again. If you kill Ares, then they will believe that they have traded one angry god for an even stronger one. But some still believe in you. Some still see you as a hero. That is why they are here, to see who you are."

"Then you are all fools," Ares choked out. "Do you really believe that this...monster...will ever give up on his revenge when it is literally within his grasp? No Adam, I know you. Now kill me and become the new God of War. Then wage your righteous war upon the universe!"

"They believe in you, Teth," Celestia said as she looked at him with hope in her eyes. "And so do I. I always have." Black Adam looked from Celestia to Ares to the ponies of Canterlot, conflict storming within his heart. 'Ares is an evil, an evil that should not be allowed to live any longer, lest he unleash similar pain like what I have felt.' Adam began to tighten his grip on Ares' throat, but then he turned his gaze back towards Celestia, who still had the belief in Adam in her eyes.

'But you have never given up on me. Even after I failed you...and your people multiple times,' Adam thought as he turned his gaze upon the ponies of the city. 'And all of you have already suffered so much, from both those who have sought to harm you and those who failed to protect you. I took those you cared for in an act of revenge...and I promised I would no longer live for vengeance. I will not fail you again.'

"As I said before Celestia, I am whatever my people need me to be," he snarled at Ares, not moving for a moment before he sighed. "And right now, they need a hero they can believe in. As much as it pains me to say it, Ares...you live." Adam dropped Ares to the ground before looking around at all of the ponies, who held their breath silently. "Ponies of Canterlot, the one who has caused you so much harm has been defeated! Now it is time for his judgment!" Adam nodded to Celestia who walked up beside him, glaring down at Ares.

"Ares of Earth, for the murder of many of my subjects, I hereby decree that your sentence will be to rot in a prison for all of your immortal life!" As she said this, she created a portal with her magic, pulling the Phantom Zone projector from within. "To the Phantom Zone with you!" She pushed the button and a portal of energy appeared behind Ares, who turned to look at it before a blast of red light tossed him into the portal. He roared one last time at Adam before the portal closed, leaving Celestia and Adam to look at where he had vanished. Then the cheering started and the ponies all rushed towards the two, chanting their names as they surrounded them.

"I admit, I never thought I would see the day when I was deemed a hero again," Adam muttered to Celestia as the two floated above the cheering ponies. Celestia looked upon Adam for a moment before she tackled him, hugging him close with her wings.

"I knew that you wouldn't fail me," she said. Adam said nothing in reply, but he did allow a small smile to cross his face as he looked out over the ponies. "Hey, we did just banish a god to another dimension, right? Won't Earth be thrown into chaos if the God of War isn't there?"

"Trust me Celestia, I think things will be better without him there," Adam muttered as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Besides, it is not like humanity ever needed his help. Now let us focus on the future of our world instead of my past one." Celestia nodded as she released him, gazing upon all of her subjects with a smile, while Adam simply thought,

'I may have been a monster in the past, but today I change for the better. You had my word Shazam, that I would use your power to benefit everyone. And I always keep my word.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"Fools, do they believe that this prison can hold me forever?" Ares weakly laughed as he fought back to his feet, looking around at the red sky and the gray land beneath him. "For no prison can hold War. Just as the sun rises, there will always be..." Then Ares stopped as he felt the very ground shake beneath him. The wounded god turned to see a monstrous figure approaching him from behind. A massive, gray figure he knew all too well.

"No...what are you doing within this realm!?" Ares roared as the creature's arm shot out and grabbed Ares by the face. Ares didn't know what was more terrifying, that the creature was here...or that he was not safe from it in his ethereal form. "W-what are you-"

"What am I?" it asked him in a deep voice as its red eyes narrowed. "I am your doom." And then the monstrosity clenched his fist.

A New Beginning

"Are you sure that we should keep it here?" Celestia asked Black Adam, while he placed the Phantom Zone generator inside of the vault where Celestia kept the most dangerous weapons in Canterlot. Adam looked at the device for a moment before he nodded at Celestia.

"Yes. I do not want the ponies to look upon it and be afraid of being trapped within. We should only use it if needed," Adam said before he and Celestia turned and exited the vault, Adam sealing it once they were outside of it. He then looked over at Celestia's mane, which was less blue and purple and now more red and orange. "Are you trying a new manestyle, because in my opinion the old style worked better." Celestia blushed before quickly looking at her mane.

"No, it is a side effect of what I did back in Canterlot when Ares forced the ponies to fight," she explained. Adam nodded for her to go on. "They wouldn't listen to my words, no matter how hard I begged, so I...took a page from your book. I showed them my true power and told them that if they continued the pointless battle, that they would be facing me. It...actually worked and they stopped fighting, though my mane is stained red now." Adam smiled at Celestia before he placed a hand upon her shoulder. "I...kinda liked being powerful, being seen as a threat for once. It was...nice."

"Well, do not follow my example too often. Then you wouldn't be the great ruler that you are." Celestia hid her blushing face behind her mane, though she did give Adam a look that said "really."

"I mean it. When I first came to this land, I did believe that you were weak and not suited to be ruler, yet the more I learned about you...the more I came to realize that I had been the one who was a failure as a leader...that force and fear is no way to rule. That kindness and trust are key."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Celestia responded as she gently bumped him with her shoulder. "You taught me that I can't afford to doubt my own strength, and that there is a time to use force when nothing else works. Luna was right about me in one regard, and that's that I have always been soft--too soft sometimes. Sometimes I have to be stern or even strong with others. I guess we've both learned a lot from each other." Adam nodded as the two silently walked the halls after that, neither of them speaking until they both walked out onto a balcony that overlooked Canterlot.

They both saw hundreds of ponies working hard to rebuild their homes, despite the scars of battle which were still evident in the city. "Do you think we should reattach Canterlot back to the mountain?" Celestia asked Black Adam, who placed a hand to his chin for a moment before he shook his head.

"If a force could bring it down before, then it is possible that it can be brought down again. And if I am not there to catch it, many would lose their lives. We should keep it on the ground," Adam said to her before a smirk crossed his face. "Besides, perhaps it is time that we stop ruling above everypony and instead rule down with them. Perhaps bringing Canterlot down to their level will help bring the ponies together again."

Celestia smiled at the idea. "Is that the wisdom of Zehuti talking?"

"No, it is the wisdom of a man who spent nearly all his life living above others. But there, Zehuti did give me an idea," Adam said as he snapped his fingers, creating images out of lightning in the air before Celestia. There were six majestic structures across Equis, each of them with a large tower in the center of them, a tower that shot out a beam of magic that helped to create a force field around Canterlot. "This may be a way to help others feel secure within Canterlot. A spell within the wizard's history came to me, and taught me that I can channel a small portion of my magic to help create a barrier that will not allow magic to enter the city without mine, or those whom I designate worthy, to enter."

"And that might be able to keep the silver one's powers from attacking us again," Celestia muttered as Adam nodded.

"Yes, but it is just a theory. Right now my biggest concern is getting the suits that Luthor promised me from him," Adam said as he turned and walked back inside of the castle, Celestia following him until the two of them were back in the throne room, where six stained glass images of the fallen Elements hung in the windows. Adam looked at them for a moment with sorrow in his eyes before he looked back to Celestia. "I will go see how the repairs are coming. If you have need of me, do not be afraid to call."

Celestia nodded as Adam turned to leave, her eyes looking over all of the stain glass images sadly. From the Elements freeing her sister to the day Adam called down the lightning for the first time, each of them reminded her of a day when her life changed forever. She had been so focused on the images that she didn't notice that Black Adam hadn't left yet.

"Celestia." Celestia turned around to look at Black Adam, whose eyes told her that he was trying to make a very difficult decision. Then he took in a deep breath before he uttered the word, "Shazam." The lightning tore into the castle and Celestia covered her eyes as the blast struck Adam, but they were filled with disbelief when she looked at him again, seeing the human for the first time in years. "My power does not make me, not anymore. What I do with the power will define me," Teth Adam said to her. Celestia's eyes teared up for a moment before she ran over to him and tackled him with a hug, nearly knocking him over.

"I always believed that you would say that. I just didn't know when," she said to him as she wrapped him tight with her wings. Adam gently patted her on the back as well before he broke the hug, smiling at her as he backed up and called down the lightning again.

"Now I must go. There is much to be done." Celestia nodded as he shot off into the sky through the hole the lightning had made, with a smile on her face the entire time. And despite being surrounded by some of the most tragic events in Equestrian history, she felt happy--happy that Teth was the champion that she had always seen in him.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

On a solitary island in the middle of the ocean sat a single lighthouse, and at the top of the lighthouse rested a silver pony, who gazed out across the sea as an old lady next to her wrote into a book. The silver mare turned to ask her a question when she felt a strange wave of magic wash over her.

The silver mare shook her head while the world around her froze, causing her to look around with concern as she suddenly found herself surrounded by absolute whiteness. 'Tenebaum? What happened? Where are you?' she asked into the nothingness, but there was no reply. She turned around with a gasp to see that six massive thrones rested behind her, with a separate creature resting upon each of the thrones, six creatures that looked like her. An alicorn, a changeling, a griffon, a diamond dog, a dragon and a zebra. 'Who are you? What is going on?'

'We have decided to finally meet you,' the alicorn said to her in a voice that radiated with magic. 'We are aware of your plight and we wished to give you a bit of aid.' The silver mare looked at them with confusion through her mane, when the dragon snorted and gained her attention.

'You have spent the last year getting a better hold of your powers, yet you have made no real progress to finding what you need,' he said with a strong voice. 'The items that need re-forging are the Elements of Harmony.'

'But why would I need to do that? The Elements of Harmony are fine,' the silver mare replied before the dragon shook his head.

'No child, they are dead. They fell in combat with Black Adam.' The silver mare could feel her heart go cold at these words, but the dragon continued on. 'But the Elements you knew of will not be strong enough to defeat the oncoming darkness. The Elements that must be re-forged are our Elements, the Elements of the original wielders of Harmony. The Elements of every race and nation brought together.'

'You were given hints in your vision as to who you needed to seek out, but it will be hard to find them amongst the infinite realities,' the Diamond Dog said to her. 'But we will help you on your way whenever you are lost. We ourselves may not know for certain who can wield the Elements, but we can point you in the direction of a potential candidate.'

'There will be many dangers and trials for both the champion and you to overcome,' the changeling said to her lovingly, her words sounding like how the silver mare's mother used to speak to her. 'Yet if you believe in them and help them, they will overcome.'

'But without all of the Elements of old, the darkness will not only destroy the world, but all of the other worlds,' the griffon added. 'For only the Elements of old can harm that which is the embodiment of destruction. It will not matter how strong a being is or what power it possesses, it can't destroy destruction itself. Only Harmony can fight against destruction. Your mother believes that Black Adam can defeat any foe, but she is at the beginning of a dark path, one that if she travels down it will destroy both her and Black Adam.'

'And this destruction will not stop until it has hunted you down and destroyed you, for that sphere within you will be key,' the zebra said as she pointed to the silver mare's chest. 'The sphere of creation will lead to the creation of the most powerful Elements of Harmony and destruction will do everything in its power to stop you.'

'We managed to seal it away years ago, but at the cost of our physical forms,' the alicorn explained. 'And we have no power to combat it once again. We need your help.' The silver mare looked down at her hooves for a moment before she looked back up at them with fear in her eyes.

'Only answer me this one question. Did I kill my sister?'

'...Unintentionally, but yes, you created the portal that allowed those demented humans to enter your world and kill your sister,' the zebra answered, her words piercing through the silver pony. She collapsed to her knees and silently began to cry to herself, the original wielders of the Elements staying silent until she finished sobbing.

'I know that you must be feeling terrible, but we need to know now if you are willing to help,' the zebra said as she appeared next to the silver mare and placed a hoof on her shoulder, but the mare shrugged it off.

'I don't care about any of the worlds! All I want is my sister back! To be with my mom again! I don't want to be this...freak!' she screamed as she backed away from the zebra, who sighed softly before pulling the mare into a hug despite her resistance.

"Child, you are no freak. But what you are is the only one we can communicate with to help start this task. Only creation, the power that you wield within you now, will be able to create a group that can fight back against destruction.' The Diamond Dog snickered at this statement and got a harsh look from the zebra before she went back to comforting the mare.

'We are not asking you to be fearless. We are asking you to be strong despite your fears,' the zebra comforted. 'But time is running short, for those who wish to unleash the destruction are already on the move. We need you to gather the six before destruction is freed. To stop it before it is freed.'

'I...' the silver mare sobbed, trying to think of a way to say no. 'Can't Teth stop it? He is powerful now.'

'As we have said, Teth does not wield the power that can defeat destruction. For you cannot fight destruction with destruction, Child. We need the Elements once again. Please, aid us and help to do what we failed to achieve all those years ago.' The silver mare pulled herself into the fetal position one last time as she thought about it, before looking up at the kindness in the zebra's glowing eyes and slightly feeling a strength she had never felt before.

'I will try. That is all I will say.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"More armor? Put it over there with the rest," Luna instructed the built pony that delivered the shipment of armor to her. The pony nodded and headed off to where she had pointed, Luna sighing as she looked down at the clipboard which she held with her magic. 'All of the armor in the world won't mean a thing to someone like Black Adam. We need some kind of 'ace in the hole', something.' She turned her attention away from that, when another pony told her that the new recruits were here. She nodded as she walked down the underground tunnels to the main cavern, where at least a hundred ponies looked towards her with eager eyes.

"Thank you all for coming. You all know why you are here," she said to them in a her royal voice, all of them standing proud. "My sister may believe that Black Adam is the key to the future of Equestria, but we all know the truth, that he will be the downfall of it!" The ponies all let out their cheers of agreement, Luna nodding at them with a smile. "That is why I asked you to join me here. We will be the force that brings down Black Adam and show all of Equestria that we do not need a god's help to save us! And then Celestia will know what a true ruler does for their people!"

Another wave of cheers went off from the ponies and Luna asked the soldiers that she already had to help them to their quarters and to show them around. She looked upon all those who were willing to fight with pride, but her heart ached when she thought of how futile their sacrifices would be if they did not have some way to hurt Adam. She lost herself in thought as she walked through the tunnels back to her room, where she sat down at a desk and looked over the known list of powers that Adam had.

"Luna?" a mare asked from her door. Luna turned to see that it was her informant. "We have received news from Canterlot. It seems that the ponies there have deemed Black Adam their champion, because he brought down another god-like being that threatened to kill all of them."

"And pray tell me, Oracle, why was a being like Adam in our land anyway?" she snarled, the pony smirking bitterly at her before she answered.

"According to our allies within the castle, Ares had a score to settle with Adam and their "settling" of that score knocked Canterlot off of the mountain on which it had once rested, and resulted in the deaths of over two hundred ponies," Oracle said to Luna, the unicorn's smile fading as she looked at the floor. "Many good lives were lost."

"And once again it is because of Adam," Luna snarled as she slammed her fist into her desk, dismissing the informant a moment later." Luna racked her brain with all of the artifacts and items that might help her against the dark god, but there was nothing that she could think of that could hurt him. Then she felt another presence in her room. "Who is...okay, let me rephrase. What are you?" she asked a silver pony behind her.

'I...am nopony important,' the silver one answered before looking at Luna with saddened and desperate eyes. 'But I am here to help. You seek for a way to stop Black Adam and I seek for a way...to return everything back to the way it was. I may have a way to stop him.' Luna narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but motioned for the mare to continue. 'I am gathering six champions who may be able to match Adam in power...and with their help we can stop the oncoming darkness. Please, trust me.'

Luna narrowed her eyes once again, but she felt that there was something that she could trust about this pony, like it was almost somepony she knew. Her hardened gaze softened and she nodded to the silver mare. "Very well, silver one, if you can gather me these champions, I will help you return Equestria to the way it used to be. I promise on my life." The mare nodded before she vanished into nothingness, leaving Luna to herself.

'Yes, I will gather the champions, but not to bring down Black Adam. To save him. And my mother,' the silver mare thought to herself as she looked at Luna one last time from the shadows. 'And we'll save you as well. I promise that we'll all be a family again.'

S=H=A=Z=A=M

"Sir, we've done it!" The hooded unicorn shot up at this news and ran into the room where the sphere of destruction sat, the electric magic that had once bonded it weakened to the point where the sphere once again glowed with its dark power. He smiled widely at the sight of it while the ponies around him bowed as he walked by. The moment he got close to the sphere it let loose a wave of dark magic, shattering the bonds that held it and allowed the unicorn to take it.

"Finally, we have the power to destroy this world and remake it for us," he chuckled softly as he felt its destructive power flood into him, almost too much for him to handle. "All we need now is a way to free you from the sphere that holds the destructive force within and we shall rule! No more unity, no more false equality! Unicorns shall rule over all!" The cloaked ponies around him all cheered in agreement. Then the sphere began to hum and it floated above the unicorns, turning towards the leader as if it was looking at him.

'Star-Swirl. You shall be my vessel.'

"Yes, I shall obey your command!" the unicorn said with a laugh as the sphere created dark tendrils that began to snake around the unicorn. "I shall be your vessel to destroy the sphere of creation! I will be your instrument of destruction for all who are not superior!"

S=H=A=Z=A=M

The courtyard was filled to its maximum capacity as thousands of ponies from all over Equestria had gathered to hear the announcement that Celestia had for all of them. There were many rumors floating around among the ponies, but the one item that had everypony talking was the strange cylinder on the center of the stage that rested before them, a cylinder that looked alien in origin. Backstage, Adam and Celestia were speaking with the pony that had volunteered to try out the equipment first, a pony that Adam would never had predicted.

"This is the last chance that you will have to back out of this," Adam said to the azure pony, who responded by smirking at him from underneath of her white mane. He responded with a scowl before asking, "Why do you even wish to do this? Last time I saw you, all you were was a pony who was concerned with being the center of attention...and, criminal scum, I will not forget that."

"Let it go Adam, that was a long time ago," Celestia said as she smiled down at the volunteer." But he is right in saying that this is your last chance to back out, Miss Trixie, so if you wish to-"

"The great and powerful Trixie is not afraid of your demonstration," she cut off Celestia with a smile. "I am tired of living the life of a criminal, one that has to threaten ponies to gain their admiration. From today on I will be admired not because of my power, but because I will fight for them! That is what this armor is said to do, correct?" Celestia nodded as Adam looked up at the sun, figuring it was time to go out. He nodded to the others before throwing back the curtains and floating out onto center stage, smirking as he heard just as many boos for him as he did cheers.

'I have still not been forgiven. I cannot blame them.' Then Celestia and Trixie walked onto the stage, Celestia gaining a large number of cheers while most ponies had no idea who Trixie was. Celestia walked to the pedestal at the center of the stage and the crowd went quiet, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Ponies of Equestria, I thank you for coming here today, especially after the hardships that we have had to face over the past few days," she said bitterly, hanging her head for a moment for the lives that had been lost. "But today is a new beginning and we will be stronger than we were before. I have asked you all here today to show you the newest technology that we possess, but first there is something of which I wish to inform you." All of the ponies, including Black Adam, looked at Celestia with surprise.

"For my rule as leader, I have tried to be as 'hooves off' as I could be, allowing you to settle disputes and allow you to lead your own lives, but in light of all of the attacks we have had and...other reasons, I can no longer rule in that kind of way," she said with strength, knowing that what she was about to say would upset the crowd. "That is why from now on I am no longer Princess Celestia...I am QUEEN Celestia!" The crowd went dead silent as she said this and though she held her head high, all were silent.

"All hail the queen!" Those three words broke the silence, but they seemed to have a powerful effect on the crowd, who all began to start chanting those words while stomping on the ground. Celestia looked at all of them with disbelief, not believing for an instance that they would take this news so well.

"Why do you look surprised?" Adam asked her with a smirk. "Who could not love you as a queen?" She allowed the crowd to continue cheering for a few moments more before she silenced them by clearing her throat, nodding to Adam before she looked back to the crowd.

"As for the other reason I have called you all here...with all of the recent attacks on my nation, I have decided that the armor and weaponry with which we normally equip our guards will no longer suffice," she said before nodding to Adam again, who placed his hand on the cylinder and ran his power into it, causing it to glow with a blue light as it came online. "That is why, thanks to Teth, we will now outfit the Royal Guard with new armor. Trixie, if you would." Trixie nodded before she hesitantly walked over to the machine.

She summoned all of her courage before she stepped into the machine, looking around for a moment before the doors shut behind her. The crowd held their breaths as a blue light ran up the center of the doors while a strange sound could be heard, a breath that turned into a gasp when they saw the doors open and Trixie step out of the machine.

She was covered in armor that fitted her perfectly, but what drew the ponies' eyes was the helmet and the fire arm that rested upon her shoulder. The helmet had an armored forehead, and two blue lines were upon the helmet's face. The firearm had three barrels and shined four blue lights wherever she aimed. The crowd looked at the armor in disbelief before the helmet collapsed into the back of the suit, revealing a smiling Trixie.

"Tada," she said with a bow, the crowd cheering wildly at the display.

"We call these new suits the Equalizers," Celestia said as Black Adam picked up some stones and tossed them into the air, where Trixie took aim with the gun and blasted the stones into powder. Adam then hurled an even larger rock, but this time Trixie fired a bluish fireball at the rock which suspended it in midair when it hit. "They come with extreme firepower, telekinesis and the ability to temporarily slow down a target. With these suits, it matters not what threats attack, it can be dealt with without Black Adam. Pegasi will be able to battle with unicorn criminals, earth ponies will be able to combat pegasi! No criminal stands a chance against these forces! These will be the guards of the future!"

The crowd went wild as Trixie bowed again and began to show off, while Black Adam walked over to Celestia, who looked across the crowd with a nervous smile on her face. "I am almost scared of how easily they are accepting these new weapons and armor. It's almost as if they have forgotten who has died because of it."

"They simply trust you," Adam replied as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "And we will never forget who died because of these weapons. But while my race has given these kind of tools a bad name, maybe the ponies will be able to put the suits to good use. And we will be there to make sure that they will not make the same mistakes." Celestia nodded as she and Adam looked out across the ponies, all those that they had both sworn to protect. And they both knew that they would do so, to the bitter end. But then a few words were spoken, words that Adam never heard even though they were within his own mind

'And I shall be here, my fallen champion, to make sure that you never make those mistakes again.'

Author's Note

And that's the end of this tale (for now) and I thank all who have read it. I don't need to tell you what story is coming next, but I will give you a few hints for old times sakes. A boy in a god's body, the two monsters who make up one hero, the dark pony, the misfit mare, the daddy and...

Until next time, see ya.

Bonus Chapter: Devourer of Worlds

Author's Note

The Surfer in this chapter will be based on the versions I've seen or read. The comics I read were a bit older and kiddier, so if he doesn't act like the surfer you know, it's probably because I haven't seen that version. For those of you who wondered what happened, here ya go.

Bonus Chapter: Devourer of Worlds

"And are you certain that this is where the silver one resides?" Adam snarled at the two ponies beneath him, both of whom cowered slightly. "Because I swear on Amon, that if I end up in another version of Earth where the undead roam the land..."

"We're sorry about all of those...failed missions Master Adam, but we are trying our best," one of the ponies manning the teleportation system apologized, quickly typing away as best he could with his hooves.

"This technology is still relatively new to us, so we're doing our best working out any kinks that might still be in the system," the other guard said in his friend's defense, getting Adam to sigh while he looked away from the twin interdimensional tubing and gazed at the two ponies working the station.

"I apologize if my tone seems harsh, but the sooner I can bring the mare down, the better," Adam said with a snarl as he clenched his fist, still remembering what the silver mare had taken from him. His flashback had barely started before the computers made a beeping sound, getting the two ponies the look at the screen with shocked faces.

"Master Adam, we've found something out in the multiverse. There's a...seventy five percent chance that it is her," one of the ponies explained while the other locked on to the source of the reading. "Strange powers, godly form. This has to be her, Sir. Nopony else would fit that description."

"Let us hope that it is. I am tired of cleaning the remains of the undead off of my cape," Adam growled as twin beams of light shown from the twin tubes, creating a small tear in reality. Adam close his eyes while extending his hands, ancient words dancing off of his tongue as he added the final touches to the reality transfer spell. The crack became a tear and allowed the three to gaze upon the reality that Adam would be intruding upon, yet they were all surprised to see empty space above a planet of a dense green. Adam was certain that the two had made another blunder, when a comet of silver shot past the tear and descended down to the planet below.

"Finally. Now I can end this." Without another word Adam was through the crack, which shut right behind him and left two ponies to look at each other with concern.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

In the far reaches of space, a solitary figure sped across the stars, his board allowing him to move faster than most beings could dream of. He gazed at each of the planets as he passed by them, until he saw one that was covered with lush vegetation. With a thin smile, he flew down to it and quickly sped across its surface, his smile growing larger when he saw no buildings or structures.

"It seems that this planet is devoid of any advanced life," he said to himself, the sun reflecting off his silver skin. "My master will be able to feast on this planet without worry of wiping out sentient life. I should go and--" He was interrupted as a massive lightning bolt struck the ground beside him, causing him to cover his eyes for a moment. When he looked again, he saw a figure in a black outfit with streaks of red mixed in with it. He had a flowing black cape and a circlet rested upon his head. But what drew the surfer’s eyes was a lightning bolt in the center of his chest, one that was filled with power.

"It seems that once again those foals have sent me to the wrong place," the being said with a growl as he rose to his full height, looking into the surfer's eyes. Then, two bolts of lightning descended from the sky and struck his hands, causing electric power to course through them. "But that matters not now. If you know anything about the silver one, you will tell me now. Or you will suffer."

"You dare to challenge a herald of Galactus, you weak--" the Silver Surfer asked before a lightning-powered fist struck him in the face and sent him skidding back a bit. The being looked at him with power and rage in his eyes.

"I am Black Adam. And I dare." Lightning lanced from Adam's hand and surged into the Surfer's chest, but to Adam's surprise the being did not cry out in pain nor did it look to be in any pain whatsoever. With a grunt the being placed its hands before it and hurled the bolts of lightning to the side, where they tore through a tree.

"Very well, being. If you wish for combat I shall...no, this is not a battle that needs to be fought," the Surfer said as he closed his eyes to calm himself, before opening them again to look at the being before him with silver eyes. "You said the silver one, but you were not speaking of me. Who is the silver one you are searching for, then?"

"She is called the silver mare and she has taken something very important from me," Adam snarled in reply as he lanced two more balls of lightning at the Surfer, who grabbed the board upon which he traversed the stars and swatted the lightning away with a frown. "Now tell me where she is."

"I assure you, I do not know of whom you speak. I am the Silver Surfer," he replied in a calm tone, but upon mentioning his name Adam's eyes only narrowed further. Before he could speak again Adam raised a hand to summon another surge of lightning that the Surfer dodged with incredible speeds.

'He lies,' Isis whispered.

"I do not believe you," Adam said with another snarl while he began to advance towards the Surfer. "Your powers feel just as strange and unworldly as hers. Either you know something, or the two of you may be connected in a way of which you are not aware. But either way, I will find answers." The Silver Surfer closed his eyes with a small shake of his head as he heard the thunder rumble once again.

"Then let us get this over with." With so little as a flick of his hand the Surfer took the molecules surrounding his foe and changed them from gas to solid, trapping the black clad warrior within a tomb of what used to be air. But to his moderate surprise the warrior broke free with little effort, the only difference being that he was far angrier than before. "Hmm, you are strong. Yet your strength means nothing to--"

Despite the Surfer having reflexes beyond most beings in his universe, he still barely registered the being move until a fist slammed into his face. Again to the Surfer's surprise, not only was the blow far faster than he had imagined, but the force of the blow also sent him skidding backwards despite his nigh invulnerable skin. The Surfer looked from the smirk on his foe's face to where he had been struck, his face becoming far more serious as he realized that his foe was indeed a potential threat.

You are indeed a powerful one. But even the might of the Hulk means little to the Power Cosmic," Surfer said with an air of finality, deciding to end the fight then and there. He pointed his hand at Black Adam and let loose a stream of the Power Cosmic, almost smiling when he struck his foe in the chest. "You will find that your powers will no longer aid you, as I have...wait a moment," he began as he narrowed his eyes while his Power Cosmic discovered something about his foe. "You are a being comprised of magic, aren't you?"

"Correct. I AM magic," Adam confirmed before hurling himself forward again. The Surfer was ready for him this time and held out a hand to catch his foe's blow, but at the last second Adam changed his attack and drove his knee into the Surfer's face, slightly snapping his head back while the Silver Surfer backed up with more surprise than pain. When he turned his gaze towards Black Adam again, he was greeted by thousands of bolts of magic that consumed him, striking him from nearly every angle, while Adam continued the magical bombardment.

"And it seems that you are done," Adam finished as he ceased the lightning storm, looking at the smoking crater where the silver being had been standing. "Now then, do you feel a bit more talkative after that, or do you need a little more persuading?" But this time Adam was the one shocked as his godly eyes pierced through the smoke to see the Surfer standing with an annoyed look on his face. "It seems that I am not the only one full of surprises. But even if you can take one volley, eventually you will fall."

"This battle is pointless," the Silver Surfer said with a shake of his head, pointing his hand skyward and letting loose a blast of silver that was aimed nowhere near Adam. Black Adam watched with mild shock as the bolt of silver shot out of the planet's atmosphere and off into the reaches of space. The Surfer then looked over at Adam, who still looked like he wished to fight. "I would recommend leaving now if you value your life."

"What did you do?" Adam asked with narrowed eyes, but all the Surfer did in reply was turn upon his board and start to head into the stars. With the speed of Heru, Adam had his hands around the Surfer's throat in an instant and hurled him back down towards the planet. The impact of the throw buried the Surfer within a crater, but he was out a moment later and heading skyward, but this time he was heading straight for Adam.

"If you crave battle so desperately, then I shall entertain you until my master arrives," the Surfer said in a far angrier tone while he let loose cosmic rays from his hands that Adam avoided with his godly speed. Adam then retaliated with his own divine magic and hurled a continuous stream of lightning towards the Surfer, who countered with the Power Cosmic. The two powers struck head on and tore the area apart with their raw power. Then, slowly, the Power Cosmic began to push Adam's magic back.

"What sorcery is this?" Adam exclaimed with pure shock in his voice, before he cut off his attack and hurled himself to the side, barely avoiding the Power Cosmic which decimated some of the forest behind the dark god. Adam swung his head towards the Silver Surfer with a look of rage, which was met with a thin smile on the silver face of his foe.

"It seems that even your magic cannot contend with the Power Cosmic," the Surfer observed before turning away from Adam once again. "I give you another chance to call off this pointless battle and leave. The destruction of this world is coming and I would recommend that you do not remain here to witness it."

"You would destroy a world filled with spirits simply because you can? Monster!" Adam roared as he hurled himself at the Surfer, who was momentarily confused by Adam's words. Then the Silver Surfer spun around to face him to receive a punch to the face that knocked him off his board and hurled him to the dirt, where he had just begun to pull himself out, when he felt two boots drive themselves into the back of his head. The Surfer spun with a backhand that was blocked by Adam, who took hold of the Surfer's arm and placed it on his shoulder, tossing the silver man over his shoulder and back into the mud. The Silver Surfer took a moment to recover before Adam began to unload upon his face, driving him deeper and deeper into the mud with each blow.

"Enough!" Silver Surfer roared as he let loose the Power Cosmic from his eyes, yet with his own godly eyes Black Adam managed to avoid the attack by leaping back. The Surfer quickly sat up and held out his hand, calling the board to him in a fraction of a second. The very next second Adam was back with a fist brought back to strike, but still allowing the Silver Surfer to intercept the blow with his board. The planet quaked beneath the blow, but to Adam's utter bafflement the board of silver did not break from his blow.

"This fight is over," Surfer said with a cold fury as he pushed Black Adam back and rose back up to his feet, pointing his hand at Adam once again and preparing to unleash his power. But he waited for Adam to try and dodge out of the way like he did before...except that Adam never did. All the dark god did was cross his arms and brace himself for the attack.

"What are you doing?" When Black Adam failed to respond, the Surfer sighed and lowered his arm to his side. "I know that you are fast enough to dodge my attack. You have done it multiple times. But now you are preparing yourself to take the blow. I wish to know why."

"To protect the beings that you seem to have no care for," Black Adam replied, but he slowly lowered his arms when he saw the confusion in his foes eyes. "You cannot see them?...Of course you cannot see them, you are not tied to magic as I am. Reveal yourselves!" The Surfer spun around in shock as hundreds of strange creatures began to appear in the area around him, all of them different colors and shapes. But they all had the same expression as they looked at him. An expression of fear.

"When you threatened to destroy this world, you also threatened to destroy them. And I take issue with that," Adam snarled, but the Surfer was barely paying him any mind. "They mean no harm to either of us, yet you wished to destroy their very world."

"These...spirits were here the entire time?" Surfer asked as he looked around at all of the sentient beings that seemed to appear out of thin air, barely able to trace the magic that made up their bodies. Then he turned his gaze skyward towards the heave, realizing that he had just damned them all. "No...no, this cannot be! I...I did not know they were here!"

"What are you rambling about?" Black Adam asked the Surfer as he marched up to him, but to his shock he found dismay within the silver eyes of his foe.

"They're all going to die," the Surfer said with horror in his voice.

"No, they are not. I managed to stop you before you could destroy the planet," Adam reminded him, but as the Surfer turned his gaze towards Adam Adam saw despair in his eyes.

"I was never the one who wanted to destroy this world. That was my master. And he--" The Surfer's words were cut off as a being landed on the surface of the planet with a giant machine in tow, his size alone casting a shadow over both the Silver Surfer and Black Adam, who gazed up at the being towering over them with both fear and despair. The being wore blue and purple armor, with a purple helmet that had twin horns like appendages sticking out of it. But what terrified Adam the most was the power he felt coming from the being, power that made the Power Cosmic within the Surfer feel like nothing in comparison.

"What in the unholy hell is that?" Adam asked with a whisper as the being rose to his full height, looking around at the landscape for a moment before slamming his machine into the ground.

"Galactus. That is Galactus. The Devourer of Worlds."

"NOW...I FEED," it said with words that were far older than Adam, far older than anything in the universe, aside from the universe itself and perhaps even older than it. The machine that he had placed in the ground began to glow, causing the spirits that surrounded both Adam and Surfer to begin to make strange noises.

"They are telling me that they feel the planet beginning to die," Adam said with disbelief as he looked towards the being that stood next to the machine with arms outstretched, putting two and two together. "That is the being responsible for this world beginning to die, is it? Then it shall see what happens when it angers a god!"

"NO!" the Surfer roared as he outstretched a hand and grabbed hold of Adam's arm, preventing him from attacking Galactus. "He is a being that you cannot fight, that cannot be beaten. It took the combined might of all of Earth's heroes to simply drive him off, but there are only two of us. We cannot fight him. He will devour this planet while killing all of these beings and it is all my fault." Adam looked around at all of the spirits before he gazed into the eyes of the Silver Surfer for a moment, removing his arm from his grasp and placing his hand on the Surfer's shoulder.

"The one called Silver Surfer, do you wish for these spirits to die? To lose their homes?" he asked in a deadpan voice.

"No. But we cannot stop him. He will feed," the Surfer said with sorrow. Black Adam snarled as he glared up at Galactus before an idea came to him and he swung his head back towards the Surfer.

"You said that you found him this planet? Can you find another planet that would be able to house these spirits?" The Surfer's eyes widened as he caught on to what Adam was asking, but then he looked up at the machine that was sucking the life out of the planet.

"It is too late. With the machine active, Galactus will have eaten the planet soon. I do not have enough time and even then I could not transport all of them there." Despite the Surfer's bleak outlook on the battle, Adam refused to believe that the situation was hopeless.

"With your Power Cosmic and my magic, we should have little issue transporting these spirits to the new world that you shall find them," Adam said before holding up a hand to cut off whatever the Surfer was going to say next. "Do not worry about Galactus finishing his meal. If you truly wish to save these beings and are on my side, then go. I will buy you the time you need." The Surfer rocketed off into the stars a brief moment later, leaving Adam to look up with narrowed eyes at the being that could rival the stars. While he believed that his regular form could handle Galactus, he decided to take no chances.

"SHAZAM!"

The wisdom and power of the wizard flowed into Adam's body as the lightning bolt descended, taking his already godly power to a level far beyond what any had dreamed of. His black suit became a divine white and he felt his very soul feel stronger as he became Supreme Adam. His eyes snapped open and he hurled himself towards the machine, muttering a dozen different spells under his breath before unleashing his magic into the machine. The machine ceased working as the magical power of Adam completely overtook it, stopping the destruction of the planet while also gaining him the attention of Galactus, who did not look happy.

"Why do you stand between me and my meal?" Galactus asked Supreme Adam in a voice that made even the Ultimate Adam shake a bit, but his courage could not be broken while he floated down right in front of hunger that did not cease. "Do you not know who you dare to oppose?"

"Yes, you are a being called Galactus. Eater of Worlds, I believe," Adam said with a snarl as he uncrossed his arms and let his almighty lightning crackle around Galactus as a show of strength. "And I am Supreme Adam, protector of those whom you seek to devour. Now prepare yourself being, prepare to face the ultimate god!"

"What is a god to power such as mine?" Galactus asked Adam with emotionless eyes as he looked down at the tiny figure that dared to oppose him. "You know that you cannot beat me."

"Maybe not. But I am a champion. And it is my duty to try," Adam said without fear as he raised a hand over his head.

"Then you will do what you must...as will I."

Adam screamed as he summoned fourth an almighty blast of lightning to descend upon Galactus, consuming the cosmic being in thunderous magic that shook the very planet to its core. Even the mighty Galactus staggered for a moment beneath the power of six of the most powerful Egyptian gods, roaring as the lightning consumed him. But that was only for a moment.

"You call yourself a god? Pathetic." Galactus lifted his hand and unleashed a horrendous explosion of the Power Cosmic into Adam's face, unleashing power upon him far greater than anything the Silver Surfer could hope to duplicate. But with the power of Shazam flowing through him, Adam withstood the blast, but he was still hurled faster than he believed possible. Within a moment he was blasted through the center of the planet and hurled back out the other side, where his launch was halted as he slammed into one of the moons that orbited the planet.

With the obstruction out of the way, Galactus turned his attention back towards the machine, unleashing his power into it to get it working again. He had just finished repairing the device when he noticed a shadow casting itself not only over him, but also over all of the land. He turned his gaze skyward to see that Supreme Adam had hurled a moon towards him, the very same moon that Adam had been driven into.

"Let us see how mighty you are now!" Adam roared as Galactus reached a hand up towards the moon before he unleashed his power cosmic into it...and turned what was once a massive rock into nothingness. Adam floated near where the moon had used to be with a stunned look upon his face as Galactus turned back around towards the machine once again.

'I...may have finally found a foe that I cannot defeat,' he admitted with horror within his thoughts, but his courage returned once again as he spotted a silver figure racing towards him.

"I have found a planet that I believe can house the spirits," the Silver Surfer relayed to Adam before looking down at the machine, noticing that the planet was beginning to fall apart. "We do not have much time left. If you have a plan..." Adam reached out and took hold of the Surfer's hand, transferring some of his magical power into the Surfer.

"This, along with your power, will allow you to create a dimensional tear that will permit you to take the spirits to their new home," Adam quickly said before turning back to Galactus. "Hurry. I will buy more time." Adam unleashed a bolt of magic so powerful into the back of Galactus that it would have ended Superman in one blow, causing the cosmic being to groan as he slowly fell forward. He caught himself before he could hit the ground and turned to face Adam once again, anger in his eyes now.

"Begone." A multitude of lasers shot forth from Galactus's hands and quickly enveloped Adam, causing him to roar in pain as he was forced to the ground from the sheer, overwhelming power that bombarded him. But with the courage of Mehen burning through him in far greater strength than the beams of energy that consumed him, Adam burst forth from the attack and hurled himself into Galactus at near light-speed, toppling both the cosmic being and himself.

"SHAZAM!" Adam bellowed into the sky, summoning down a far more enhanced version of the divine lightning that normally followed the word. Galactus roared as the lightning decimated his form, managing to damage the near invulnerable cosmic being. Adam hurled himself back into the sky, leaving the planet's atmosphere and circling around that solar system's sun a few times to build up speed. He then hurled himself back towards the planet, bursting through the atmosphere and driving himself into the still prone Galactus, setting both ablaze. Adam bounced from the impact and slammed into the ground hard, growling to himself as he struggled to his feet while holding his now broken arm.

"Damn it all...that being is far more durable than I would have given it credit for," Adam snarled before turning to face Galactus again, who, despite the ungodly amount of damage he had just suffered, was rising back to his feet. Adam snarled as he shot at Galactus again, but a back hand from the cosmic being sent Adam sprawling into the dirt once again.

"Your efforts have been for naught," Galactus said as he held out both arms towards the machine. "The process is finished. Now it is time for me to--"

"NO!" the Silver Surfer roared as he unleashed his own power cosmic into the back of Galactus, causing the being to turn to face him in confusion.

"My herald. Why have you betrayed me?" Galactus asked in an emotionless tone.

"I will not let you harm the beings of this planet! Even if I must oppose you!" The Silver Surfer roared as he unleashed his power once again, but Galactus simply held up a hand to absorb the power.

"Despite your betrayal, I still have need of you," Galactus said as he unleashed his own power cosmic into the Surfer, causing him to be rocketed away from the planet as Galactus's words rang in his ears. "Now is not the time for you to turn on me. Rest herald, for I will hunger once again." Before the Surfer passed out, his last sight was the planet's energy being sucked into Galactus and the planet he had fought to protect being turned into a husk.

S=H=A=Z=A=M

With a start the Surfer awoke, shocked to find that he was being held by Black Adam with one arm, though Adam was still wearing his divine outfit. Surfer then turned his eyes towards what was left of the planet he was trying to protect, which was mostly space debris at this point. Off in the distance, he could see Galactus's ship and knew that he had fed.

"Finally, you awaken. I was wondering if Galactus had killed you," Adam said with a snarl as he held out the Surfer's board with his other hand, despite the fact that his arm was broken. The Surfer took the board before turning his gaze back down towards what remained of the planet.

"Did we do it? Did we save them in time?" Silver Surfer asked, but Black Adam closed his eyes and shook his head with a sad sigh.

"We saved as many as we could. That will have to be enough." The two sat in silence for a while after Adam spoke, silently mourning the lives that had been lost before Adam opened his eyes again. "I must go. The silver one is still out there and I cannot rest until I have tracked her down. Farewell, Silver Surfer."

"Wait." Black Adam turned to face the Surfer once again, but this time it was the Surfer who took Adam's hand and transferred a small portion of the Power Cosmic into him. "This will help you find whoever you are searching for, no matter where they hide, as long as you aide it with your magic. Consider this my way of saying 'thank you'. If not for you, I would have condemned an entire race to their deaths."

"You did not know. It was not intentional," Adam said to slightly comfort him before a smirk crossed Adam's face. "Though I must apologize as well. I thought of you as weak, but it seems under the right situation you can be almost as strong as me."

"What do you mean, 'almost as strong'?" the Silver Surfer asked with a small smile. "We never got to finish our fight."

"I remained able to fight after Galactus's attack. You did not. I was the last man standing." The Surfer let a laugh past his lips before shaking his head slightly with a smile on it.

"You are a strange man Adam, but I will concede to you, today. It is your win," the Surfer said before placing his board beneath him. "Some advice before I go, though. Try stopping to talk to those whom you believe to have information, instead of going in swinging. Maybe then you might hit your actual target." Adam nodded before the Surfer flew off across the stars. Galactus's ship turned to follow him as they hunted down Galactus's next meal. Black Adam thought about what the Surfer had said before he shook his head with a thin smile.

'Very well, Surfer, I shall try. I owe you that much," he thought before deciding to return to Equestria to continue his own hunt.

"Shazam."

After the Battle

Emptiness.

That was all she could think, as the wind whipped across the ground that was stained with the blood of so many lives that had been lost. The silence of the bodies that lay on the ground contrasted with the loudness of the screams and yells of all those who had been fighting for their lives. They had rung out across the battlefield only a few hours beforehand. Combatants from both forces lay on the blood-stained ground, some of them bleeding red from their wounds while the other side bled green. Both ponies from the Royal Canterlot Army and changelings from the Changeling Empire lay unmoving on the battlefield, along with the spears and arrows that had been discarded during the fight when those who wielded them had fallen. Vultures circled overhead of the silent battlefield, smiling to themselves as they saw the feast that had been given to them.

Lives had not been the only loss during this battle, as the burning buildings behind the pony's army would show if any were alive to witness it. Fire had nearly consumed the whole town, but the buildings that were left standing showed that it was once a glorious town full of ponies that enjoyed all that life had to offer. The town had been the center of Equestria and was mostly known for the love and kindness that they showed to all who entered their town. This made them the prime target for those who fed off of love and kindness, the Changeling Empire. On a beautiful afternoon, a cloud of darkness had swarmed over the city as the changelings began to feast upon the love that this town held. Ponies had run for their lives as the changelings began to take the ponies home. A resistance had been formed to try and fight back against the swarm, but their numbers were not enough as they were quickly overrun by the swarm.

But when all hope had seemed lost for the ponies, a horn sounded through the air and gained the attention of all the changelings, as well as the ponies that were under assault. They all looked towards the horizon to see a majestic sight greet their eyes. On a hill just on the edge of the town stood the Canterlot Army, thousands of ponies that were the most well-trained and skilled fighters in the land. The changelings had to shield their eyes from the light reflecting off their armor as the commanding general let out a cry to the heavens while he charged into the town, his soldiers following with yells of their own as they raced after him. The changelings let one massive hiss ring out in return as they started to charge towards their foes, fangs bared for battle. And just on the outskirts of the small town, the two armies collided.

Most survivors said that the ground shook when the two forces collided and the fighting started, with magic being hurled at both forces, while pegasi and changelings grappled in the air. Soldiers screamed as they charged forward to plunge their spears into the foes before them, screams that turned to gurgles as the changlelings started to go for the throats of the armored ponies, one of the few exposed areas on their bodies. Town ponies fled in terror as a wild fireball struck the side of a building and set it ablaze, with the fire already leaping to another building as well. The captain of the guard yelled once again as he and a few of his men charged into the heart of the changeling forces, slashing and firing away at everything they saw in the sea of darkness. They were met in return with equally sharp fangs and powerful magic with which the changelings were so skilled. But a cheer rang out from the changeling forces as a massive black beast emerged from its ranks, wielding a black battle axe in its jaws that ran red with the blood of those who had already fallen under its might. The changeling titan spotted the captain of the guard and screamed at him before rushing forward with the axe held high, swinging with all his might towards the captain.

As the blade headed for the golden-armored crown of the captain, who was fighting off two changelings at once, a younger recruit leapt through the air and tackled the captain out of the way of the blade, screaming with agony as the axe cleaved him in two. The captain watched in horror as the twin halves of his soldier's corpse fell to either side of him, and he looked up with wrath in his eyes at the laughing changeling. With a roar of fury for his fallen comrade, the captain grabbed his blade and drove it up with all of his rage-filled fury, sending the tip of the weapon through the bottom jaw of the changeling and out through the back of his skull. The changeling's laugh died in its throat and it fell over without a sound, leaving all the other changelings around it to stare in disbelief as the ponies began to cheer, believing that they had won the fight. But the changelings never entered a battle without a backup plan and they had decided if they couldn't win the battle, they'd simply 'nuke' the field. So just as the Army began to push the changelings back, the changelings unleashed their ultimate weapon...a magi bomb, designed to wipe out all life in a three mile radius. The army could do nothing as the massive flash went off, followed by a storm of magic that killed everything it touched. Changeling and pony alike was caught in the blast that spread for miles, leaving only a giant sphere of death.

When the blast finally died down, all that could be seen for miles was destruction and bodies, just mere skeletons after the blast was done with them. All the buildings in the surrounding area had come down from the force of the shockwave and those ponies that hadn't been caught in the blast were crushed by the raining rubble. This was the sight that greeted one Princess Celestia as she landed on a nearby hillside, realizing that she had arrived too late to help.

"No..." the white alicorn with the majestic mane said as she looked around at all the destruction, tears brimming in her eyes as she saw the skeletons of what used to be her loyal soldiers laying scattered. "No, this can't be happening! I can't be too late!" She ran through the graveyard, looking for any signs of life, be it changeling or pony, yet all that greeted her was the smell of death and destruction. With there being no chance of any of the warriors surviving, she headed into the remains of the town in hopes of finding survivors. "Hello!? Anypony there?!" she called into the town, but only the wind answered her. She began to cry as she continued to run through the streets, wondering how it had come to this. The changelings were supposed to be peaceful with the ponies, that's what their king had said the last time he and Celestia had met.

'But with his daughter taking the crown now, I guess that peace is no more,' she thought to herself as she came to a stop in the middle of the town square, looking with regret at the bodies of her subjects. In one last desperate attempt to find survivors, she cast a life seeking spell across the town, praying that it would detect somepony. And it did. "There, in the distance, two small signs of life," she said to herself with joy as she raced off towards the place where the spell had detected. She found a building that had been overturned by the explosion, yet she could still feel the faint traces of life underneath the building. Using her great alicorn magic, she lifted the building and threw it to the side, revealing a pair of corpses that had covered two terrified fillies. Both of the fillies looked up at Celestia with tears in their eyes, one of them looking to be around the age of ten while the other seemed to be closer to six.

"Do not fear little ones, you are safe now," Celestia said in as comforting a tone as she could while- she took a step forward, but the older of the two shielded the littler one with her body. "Do not worry, I am not here to hurt you. I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria," she said as she showed them the crown, watching as it seemed to calm them down a bit. "Come, let me take you somewhere safe." The two looked at each other before offering their hooves to Celestia, who gently lifted them with her magic and placed them on her back. She spread her wings to ascend into the sky after casting one last spell to make sure no pony else was alive, then looked back at what she assumed where the two's parents with a small shake of her head. Then she flapped her wings and sailed into the sky.

====TL====

Celestia slowly paced outside of the door of the office where the public records were kept, waiting to hear if the two fillies she had saved had any place to go. While she waited, she thought of what she had heard about the ponies that had died during the battle with the changelings. She had not only lost the captain of her guards, but a large number of her personal guards as well. She would need to see if any of her other guards were skilled enough to protect her all the time.

'I should have been there,"' Celestia thought to herself with a sad shake of her head. Her attention was broken when she noticed that one of the office workers had come out, motioning for Celestia to join her.

"How are they?" Celestia asked.

"It's been a week, so they have recovered from their wounds, but the both of them are still feeling the emotional effects of the attack."

"What did you find out about them?" Celestia asked the pony, who looked down at her notes with a shake of her head.

"I'm sorry to say this, Princess, but these two have no other family besides each other. In fact, they were both adopted into the family at the house you found them at only a few days ago. They have nowhere to go but the orphanage."

"Do you mind if I talk to them?" Celestia asked her, despite not needing to. The pony nodded and moved aside, letting Celestia into the room with the two ponies. They were both sitting in a pair of chairs with their heads down, the smaller of the two looking up at Celestia when she entered, but the other's head hung low. "Hello there, you two," Celestia said with a friendly smile, but neither of the two returned it. "Are the two of you alright?"

"Y-yes we are, Princess," the smaller one said after a minute of silence. Celestia looked at the little filly with a small smile, noticing that she had no cutie mark on her yellow coat, but she seemed to shine like the sun despite the dust covering her.

"That's good. May I ask your names?"

"I'm Sunnysmiles," the yellow earth pony with the orange mane said with a thin smile, while her sister said nothing. Celestia looked to the older sister with a sad look, knowing that she shouldn't press the issue.

"Well it's nice to meet the two of you," Celestia said with a smile, trying to be positive. "I'm glad to see that the two of you are-"

"Where were you?" the older sister asked. Celestia and Sunnysmiles both looked at her as she lifted her head, allowing Celestia to look into her eyes that held no sorrow or fear. They only held rage. "Why weren't you there to help us? The princess is supposed to protect the ponies of Equestria, yet hundreds died. Where were you?"

"I was staving off an attack inside of the city by the changelings," Celestia said as she lowered her head. "It was only after I had dealt with the problem here that I heard of the attack on your town, but I was too late to stop it. I am sorry." The older sister lowered her head again and didn't speak for a few minutes.

"Radiance."

"Excuse me?" Celestia asked.

"My name...Radiance," the unicorn repeated as she indicated her coat, which was a pure white with bits of silver mixed in. Her mane was yellow with a streak of silver going down the center of it. Her cutie mark was a bolt of magic spiraling into the air. "I was the one who used my magic to stop the building from crushing my sister and me."

"You did that without any training?" Celestia asked, intrigued by the skill that one so young could posses. After Radiance nodded, Celestia lowered her head and began to think until she reached a decision. "I know that the two of you are still grieving over the loss of your home, but I was wondering if...you would like to live with me."

"Really?" Sunnysmiles asked with wide eyes. "We could live in the palace?"

"Why would you do this for us?" Radiance asked, suspicion in her tone.

"Because the two of you have nowhere else to go, and I would like to train you, Radiance, in the ways of magic. I can see that you have potential," Celestia said with a smile. "Plus...I also lost a member of my family a long time ago."

"Luna," Sunnysmiles said, with Celestia nodding in response.

"So what do the two of you think? Will you agree? You don't need to answer right now, if you don't want to." Radiance was hesitant about it, but as she looked to her little sister and saw the sheer joy in her eyes, she knew that she had to.

"I'll do it, but with one condition. You have to train me to be strong, so strong that I won't have to rely on you to save me the next time danger strikes." Celestia agreed to her terms, so both she and Sunnysmiles both agreed.

"Very well, I will go speak with my assistant about getting the two of you transferred to the castle. Please wait here." Once Celestia left the room, Radiance looked to her happy little sister with a confused look.

"How can you be so happy, despite everything that just happened?" Radiance asked, knowing that the only reason she had agreed to stay was to keep her sister safe.

"It's like mom and dad used to say: the past is the past and all that matters is the future," Sunnysmiles said with a smiles that made her sister's heart feel warmer. "So I'm going to focus on the brightness of the future instead of the darkness of the past." Radiance sighed and wrapped a hoof around her sister.

"You really fit your name, you know that?" Radiance asked with a smile as her sister giggled, both of them looking up as Celestia entered back into the room.

"Everything has been set up. The two of you will move into the castle tomorrow," she said with a smile, moving aside so that one of her guards could enter. "This is my bodyguard. He will take the two of you shopping for any supplies that you need. I will pay for whatever you buy, but please don't get what you don't need." The two of them shot out of their chairs and ran off into the castle, leaving the guard to chase after them as Celestia's assistant entered the room.

"Are you sure you want to do this Celestia?" the pony asked her. "Taking on the responsibility of fillies is a tough task, and after everything that happened..."

"It is my fault that they no longer have a home or a family," Celestia said with a sad sigh. "This is the least I can do for them. Besides, the upper chambers have been empty for so long, I figure that they could use a bit of energy." The pony looked up at Celestia with uncertainty in her eyes, but she sighed and watched the fillies run off with the guard.

"As you wish, princess."

===TL===

"Is this really going to be our room?" Sunnysmiles asked as she looked around the circular room with the paintings of pegasi on the ceiling and the giant window that led to a balcony. "It's a lot nicer than what we used to have."

"It will do," Radiance said as she set up what she had bought on the table in the center of the room, which consisted of only a book of spells and some parchment. "So when do we start with the magic training? I want to get stronger."

"Your training will begin in the morning, but for now the two of you must rest," Celestia said as she stepped onto the balcony, letting the wind flow through her mane before she focused her power into her horn and let loose a beam of magic into space, watching with a smile as the sun began to set on the horizon.

"Can you teach me that too?" Radiance asked as she joined Celestia on the balcony, Sunnysmiles running up to her sister's side.

"I am sorry, but only alicorns and other magical beings that rival our power can do that," Celestia said as she turned and headed back inside, looking around the room to make sure that all their requirements had been met. She then sat down at the center table and motioned for the two to join her. "Now then, I would like to get to know the two of you a bit better and give you the chance to get to know me, so feel free to ask any question you want."

"Ooo! I have one!" Sunnysmiles said quickly. "How much of the castle are we allowed to explore?"

"You can go anywhere except for the dungeons and the war room," Celestia answered.

"What is the proper way to enchant ones horn so that it can deflect any projectile?" Radiance asked, causing Celestia to sigh at the fact that all she was concerned about seemed to be fighting.

"That is a question for tomorrow, but I will ask you both a question now. What do the two of you like to do for fun?" Both sisters looked at each other before they answered, Sunnysmiles going first.

"Well, I really like to play tag and run through a field of flowers and sing..." she began, mentioning more and more things until she started to cough a little, causing her sister to look at her with concern.

"She's always been a little sick," Radiance explained as she placed a hoof on her sister's back, sighing in relief as she stopped coughing. "I enjoy reading and writing mostly, but studying can be fun too. I also like to pull pranks, so watch out."

"I'll keep that in mind," Celestia said with a joking tone as she watched the two of them begin to yawn. "Alright, the two of you should probably head off to bed. It will be a big day tomorrow." The two started to complain, but Celestia gave them both a look that told them she wasn't to be argued with. So they begrudgingly got up and headed to the two beds that had been prepared for them. Radiance laid down in her bed and fell asleep almost immediately, but Sunnysmiles hopped on her bed a few times before Celestia picked her up and placed her under the covers.

"You should probably get some sleep," she said as she turned off the lights while tucking the filly in. Sunnysmiles yawned and finally seemed to submit to the weariness, but before Celestia could go she asked one more question.

"Hey, Princess, if we're living with you, does that make you our mommy now?" she asked. Celestia looked at her with raised eyebrows for a minute before a smile broke out on her face.

"Yes, I suppose it does," she said as she gently leaned over and kissed Sunnysmiles on the forehead, before standing up and walking over to her sister, but Radiance had covered herself up completely. Celestia just sighed and walked to the door, looking behind her one last time before she closed it.

"Goodnight...my daughters."

===TL===

In no time, a week had gone by and in that time Celestia had learned a lot. Mostly it was about how hard it actually was to raise two fillies, but she had also learned a lot about the two of them. Sunnysmiles, for instance, had a habit of chasing after any butterflies she saw and she shone in the sunlight, whereas her sister seemed to prefer being in the shade and reading instead of doing physical activities. The two girls had also become accustomed to the layout of the castle rather quickly and had a habit of vanishing on Celestia. So today she had decided to take them out to the royal gardens and let them roam around while they got used to their new home.

"How are the two of them doing?" she asked Golden Sword, the guard that had been assigned to watch over both of them.

"They are doing fine, but Sunny just poured some dirt on her sister a while back," he said as both he and Celestia watched the two roll around on the ground, Radiance grabbed a hoof-ful of mud and dumped it onto her sister's mane, while Sunnysmiles shrieked in protest. "They can be hard to deal with, but it seems that they are starting to get used to life here. What do you think?"

"They're doing better, but neither of them has really broken out of their shells yet," Celestia said as she watched a muddy Sunnysmiles chase her sister around the yard. "So far the only pony they trust is each other. It will take time for them to become a part of society again. I know the feeling, I was the same after I lost my sister."

"Hey Celestia, what's this?" Sunny's voice said from the area where the statues were kept. Celestia opened her wings and flew over to them, landing in front of a statue that she didn't enjoy looking at.

"This is Discord," Celestia said to the two fillies, who looked up at the strange statue with intrigue. "He is the Lord of Chaos and an old foe of mine, who sought to throw the world into chaos. However, my sister and I stopped him using the Elements of Harmony, which were lost to time later."

"So why do you keep him in the garden?" Radiance asked. "Wouldn't it be better to keep him locked up in a dungeon or something?"

"Probably, but it's so nice and peaceful here, he's probably hating it right now," Celestia said with a thin smirk as she turned the two away from the statue. "Now come on, let's go-"

"Princess! Something's heading towards the planet!" one of the guards yelled out. Celestia and the fillies had just enough time to look up at the strange meteor before it came crashing down into the garden with a sound like thunder. Immediately a number of guards rushed around the crater and pointed their spears at it, waiting for any sign of movement. When there was none, Celestia moved past them and descended into the crater, letting out a gasp when she saw what was at the bottom. It was a pale skinned creature it a white robe of sorts, and it had a black mane only on its head. Yet, while the guards were confused by what it was, Celestia knew enough about the ancient myths to know its name.

"A human?"