The Conversion Bureau: Judgement Day.

Chapters

Everything you thought you knew...
Grounded
Innocence (part one)
Innocence (part two)
The Stranger

Everything you thought you knew...

-Twelve years ago.

"It worked! It finally worked!"

Twilight Sparkle couldn't believe that it finally worked, after the events of the last year she was getting used to not have her hopes too high.

When the "Great Disaster" happened every species over the planet tried to face it by themselves but after a while every city over Equus was devastated and the survivors sought asylum in the only safe place, Equestria. Now after a year of struggling for the lives of their subjects and the new refugees the Princesses decided that the Disaster was too big to be stopped or even contained leaving as the only solution to escape but the problem was to gather the massive amounts of magic required for doing it. The solution was to use every piece of magic they could; The Elements, the Princesses, the Queen of the changelings, even the rudimentary ones like the griffons and zebras, all together joined their forces to do the impossible.

Saving over a hundred millions of lives the Princesses used all the energy offered to them that day to transport the whole country of Equestria to a safer place. A new world was around them, ready to welcome and give them a place they could call home again and they where ready to initiate a new life here.

Then Twilight noticed the violet dome over them.

"Princess. What is that?"

***

The Phantom Stranger and Celestia appeared in looked like a beach with an ocean without waves and clear enough so she could see a black bottomless void, when she looked to the horisont the sand it extended uninterrupted as far as she could saw looking as if the middle of the dessert and the deep of the sea just collided there. The same happened when she looked at the sky, there was no sun or stars but instead just an uniform lifeless blue background, to dark to be day and to bright to be night. All of this made the immortal feel a complete loneliness. Before the Princess of the Sun could even though of how to ask the question the Stranger was already answering.

"This is the Ultima Thule, the place where everything comes to an end." Those words confused the Princess eve more but the Phantom didn't seem to notice or care about this and started to walk but Celestia stood still.

"Enough Stranger. I demand answers" Her voice was strong and menacing as her face showed only resolve but the Stranger didn't show any reaction nor said any answers, so she continued. "Who are you to take me from my sacred duty with my ponies to force me to come here?"

"He already gave you an answer, young one" A voice commented from Celestia's back, she turned around to see a creature that looked like a man dressed in blue and covered by a cape that rested peacefully over his shoulders but the most dominant feature about this being was a helmet made out of gold so pure and clean that the Princess could see her own reflection.

"My good Phantom, your have completed your task, now go an bring answers to those who need them. I will take this from here." When Celestia turned the Stranger was already gone and the golden man was walking to her with steps that were calm but strong, when they where face to helmet he finally spoke again.

"Don't be afraid young one, I don't represent any harm to you."

"I am not afraid." The alicorn was loosing her patience and the endless dessert where they were wasn't helping. "Answer me. Who are you, where are we and why?"

"I'll be your guide here from now, you may call me Fate, Doctor Fate" His voice resonated through his helmet like a bell in a tower emitting a sound that almost calmed the alicorn. "As for your second question, this is the last place and the last moment of existence." Then his eyes glowed. "But you're to young to, so you only see an aspect of this realm, allow me to illuminate your view." He raised his hand a light that shinned with the glint of sun itself and even brighter forced the alicorn to shut her eyes.

When Celestia opened her eyes again she wasn't sure to understand was she has in front of her.

First of all, the sand under her hooves was replaced by a ground covered with different vegetation that the Princess didn't recognized also the sea behind her was now moving with the force of a storm and when she looked up in the sky a new set of celestial bodies greeted her but still no sun or moon, finally she looked back to Fate, the Doctor was pointing with his hand to a pair of doors that simply appeared in front of them. She started to think that all of this was just a senseless dream caused by her recent stress and in any moment now she would awake in her bedroom at home in New Canterlot.

"You're not dreaming." Fate interrupter her line of thought. "All of this is as real as you or me." He pushed one of the doors revealing a descending stairway. "Now there are some beings waiting for you and would be inadequate to make them wait." But the Princess stood still in her position.

"I will not take orders from you or any other being. I am the Princess of the Sun and you will respect that."

The Doctor didn't say anything but instead he just looked down shacking his head disappointed for something, his eyes glowed and they were transported to the top of a mount, Celestia looked around her to see twelve thrones made out of stone disposed in semicircle around the spot where she was standing and on every one there was a symbol carved into the stone but she couldn't recognize most of them, also on the opposite side of the cliff was an staircase ascending till disappearing between the clouds. Fate walked to one of the seats, the one marked with a symbol that the Princess remembered the humans calling anj or something like that, she tried to follow him but he stopped her with a gesture and standing he said.

"I am Doctor Fate, Lord of Order and keeper of the Eternal Library, I'm here to preserve justice. I summon the monarch."

The sky was suddenly darkened by clouds and a series of thunders cracked in the air before a hole opened between the clouds sending a light to the throne marked with a symbol of clouds and lightning, then a bearded man dressed in a toga descended from the sky to the throne and when his feet hit the floor Celestia could see that despite looking very old his figure was athletic and imposing, like and old fighter ready to have another fight, and also she noticed a glowing object in his right hand that looked like a spear.

"I am Zeus, son of Time and king of the Olympus, I'm here to protect freedom. I summon the warrior."

He threw the object that Celestia mistook for a spear to the sky making a new storm, but this one was different; ice and cold surrounded the place, even the sun alicorn felt the freezing sensation then she heard steps next to her so she turned to see another old man, but unlike the first one this was wearing a body armor and a helmet with wings. He walked to the throne marked with three triangles next to Zeus, turned around and took off his helmet and glared at Celestia with his only eye before calling.

"I am Odin, ruler of Asgard and master of the storm, I'm here to punish evil. I summon the wizard."

He hit the ground with his spear and the storm stopped, the ice melted and the clouds made way to a clear blue sky Celestia was starting to calm down when a voice with the force of the thunder shouted "SHAZAM!"

KRAKOOM!

A thunder so strong that the ground shacked roared and another man appeared dressed in white and gold wearing a cape and hood which he took off to reveal a expression that only showed kindness and confidence, when he looked at Celestia he smiled and winked at her and the he said.

"I am Shazam, guardian of the Rock of Eternity and defender of life, I'm here to protect the innocent. I summon the existence."

Celestia tried to interrupt them but she couldn't talk. In fact, she tried to move but her body didn't respond 'What is this feeling?'

From the night sky a woman descended behind the princes in an absolute calm walking to the next throne where she talked with a voice that sounded like a chorus of hundreds of voices.

"I am Rama Kushna, death goddess and mistress of Nanda Parbat, I'm here to keep the balance. I summon the white king."

BOOM!

A vortex of light appeared next to Shazam and two figures walked from inside it; one was a man holding a staff and wearing a combination between an armor and a uniform in blue red and gold. The second figure walking from the vortex didn't looked like a man, or any living being for what it matters, covered in an armor with a face that looked like a gravestone and eyes glowing red like the fires of hell.

The first one glared at the Princess, just like Odin before, but instead of showing aggression his gaze showed disappointment, like a father looking at a son who made a serious mistake and for some reason she felt guilty for that.

"I am Highfather, guardian and protector of New Genesis, I´m here to make justice. I summon the black king."

The next one smirked for a second as he looked at Celestia making her feel something 'What it was?' a small grin appeared in his face before replying.

"I am Darkseid, lord and master of Apokolips, I'm here for my own. I summon the man of miracles."

Celestia could see an object coming from the horizon, she couldn't tell what it was at first. Too fast to be a bird, too small to be a plane, when it was close enough a blur or red, blue and yellow felt next to Darkseid raising a cloud of dust. Before the dust dissipated Celestia heard this new one say.

"I am Miracleman, builder of the new paradise, I'm here to defend the right cause. I summon the watchmaker."

This time Celestia expected a new show before her eyes but the only thing she got was a soft flash of blue light and an azure man completely naked with a strange symbol on his forehead, completely expressionless he just said monotonically.

"I am Doctor Manhattan, a watchman for the universe, I'm here to observe. I summon the chaos bringer."

Then the nine of them looked to the night sky as expecting something. Celestia looked too and she couldn't believe what she was looking.

A new celestial body was right over the mountain, at first it looked like Luna's moon, but with to peaks and a ring around it. When Celestia realized that it was bigger than the moon, even bigger than Earth or Equus and it started to grow even more. No, it was moving, coming closer but nobody besides her seemed to care 'That feeling again.' When it stopped in midair and the sound of thousand of mechanism broke the silence as the new planet opened and started to transform: first a pair of limbs, then two legs, hands, an finally a head as a sound coming from every possible direction declared.

"I am Unicron, the chaos bringer, I'm here to destroy."

He descended from the sky alarming the Sun Princess but the other ones didn't show any reaction, the massive being started to shrink as he came closer till he was at ground level at the same size as the others when the same voice spoke again.

"I summon the spirit of vengeance."

And that was when Celestia started to understand what was that felling. 'Fear?'

First all he lights disappeared, then a cold breeze flowed around her like hundreds and hundreds of wings beating right behind her, she finally gathered enough strength to turn around just to see a flock of crows flying right to her. She opened her wings ready for the attack but instead the birds just surrounded her without getting too close flying in circles.

"I am The Spectre, angel of death."

The crows formed a silhouette in front of the Princess, a dark green cape covering a tall but thin figure.

"I´m here to judge you Princess Celestia of Equestria."

'It knows my name' Was the only thing she could think, she was alarmed but she didn't knew why. The crows dissipated and the light reappeared but now a new being covered in a cape was there, his face covered by the shadows of his own hood making Celestia felt like she was gazing long into the abyss and a pair of white eyes gazed into her. He backed to his throne and sat down, the other present did the same after him

Then she finally understood, that place, those beings, all of that was just impossible. This was just her subconscious messing with her and those were the pieces of her self image. 'That makes more sense than the alternative.'

"And what is the alternative young sun?" Rama asked but Celestia didn't took her seriously, after all it was just her own mind 'Right?'

"The alternative would be that you are really who you say you are and other gods actually exist--"

"Enough!" Odin shouted. "All of this is real and we are here to judge you for your crimes Celestia."

"Judge me?" This one has the dare of talking to her like that. "What crimes are you talking about?"

"The disappearance of the human race of course." Answered Highfather.

"And if that's a crime or not." Miracleman added.

'The humans.' What happened to them was a terrible lost and she lamented that but these beings were blaming her for that, even more, they were saying that they could judge her! That was unacceptable!

"You can't judge me, I'm a goddess." 'She really believed that?' "My actions, even when they can't be comprehended are always right." That was she always was, since the defeat of Discord everypony under her wing trusted her and for good reason; she was infallible. "I did the best for everypony" Celestia opened her wings taking a combat pose but nobody showed any reaction except for the one dressed in white and gold 'He say his name was Shazam' who raised from his seat and walked to her until they were face to face.

"Princess, please." He said in a soft voice. "You have to calm down, your rage is not going to do any good."

"My rage is the just one." He was right, she was angry, angry enough to cut loose and release her true power. A halo of light surrounded her as her mane ignited with the fire of sun itself and her eyes glowed in a golden light. "Real or not there's no being with the right to question me." She shouted with all her might also burning the ground under her. "I will not stand here for the likes of you, my own kind needs me so I will go back where I'm really needed." And with that said she flaped her wing sending a flare around her and flew to the sky.

Zeus smirked as he put his elbow over Unicron's shoulder. "You know, she's taking it better than I expected."

But Odin didn't seem to be that amused when his arm reached for the sword on his belt ready to fight the alicorn into submission but Manhattan stopped him with a hand and pointing with the other to Fate and Shazam who were flying behind the princess. "Someone have to teach her some manners." Said Odin to which the Doctor replied

"They will."

***

She was hallucinating, of course. Psychosis generated by the high amount of stress and not having a proper sleep in years. She went as high as she could trying to calm herself trying to recognize anything under her hooves but the only thing she could see was land an sea forming continents the she never saw before. She stopped in a cloud looking to the stars searching for a constellation to guide her but the the sky was empty again, not a single star but that didn't bothered her. 'It's all in my mind.' That single statement relaxed her as she leaned back on her cloud remembering what Star Swirl taught her so many centuries ago.

'When you dismiss the impossible, whatever you have left, however improbable, is the answer'

So what was possible and what wasn't? It was more plausible that she had just lost her mind than the existence of this so called "gods"

'No.' She interrupted herself. 'Is not psychosis.' Somehow, deep in her heart, she knew that all of this was real. She wasn't loosing her mind at all, it was all real.

"An involuntary sense of truth, very useful for our line of work." It was the voice of Fate.

Celestia opened her eyes to see the golden man floating right in front of her, next to him was Shazam with a worried expression on his face. He opened his mouth but she talked first.

"Fine, let's say I believe this is actually happening and that I believe that you two are some kind of gods. What do you want from me?" She wasn't in the mod but decide to play along for a while until she discovered what was happening.

"I suppose we have an skeptic here." Fate said. "But very well, if you are open minded to believe then allow me to explain. We are beings from all across the multiverse that transcended their existence trough power and understanding or were given the responsibility of act as guardians of existence itself. As for your presence here is because a big tragedy happened under your leadership and the nature of your participation o the matter."

"You really are who you say you are?" 'It could be possible?'

"We are many things, little one." A voice claimed behind her, she turned around to see the other ones floating in a circle around her, the one talking was Darkseid. "Most of them you could never dream of understand. But in the grand scheme of things, we are gods."

Finally she understood one thing at least, that feeling from before was now clear on her mind; it wasn't doubt or rage, it was something more basic. 'Fear.'

"What happens now?" She asked and the Spectre approached her.

"Now, we decide if you are guilty or innocent."

Author's Note

Well, after a month of thinking and thinking (and smashing my head against the wall) here's the second chapter.
Most f this was written around the idea of Celestia discovering and accepting the existence of other gods.
Also here is a visual guide for the characters appearing in this story.
Still need a proof reader (or an editor, that would be great) so if you see any mistake please point it out and I will fix it and if you got any suggestions, questions or just an opinion about this don't be afraid of writing it on the comments or sending me a message, I would be glad to see what my readers have to say (yay! I got readers).
Finally and special thanks to giz for helping and supporting me with this one also to darkmatterbutterflies and Siphon117 for their comments

Grounded

-Eleven years ago.

Nobody knew what to think about this.

Fifty two weeks, almost a year after a whole new earth mass of the size of Brazil just appeared in the middle of the Pacific and nobody had nothing to say. Sure it caused quite of an impression at first, some people tough that is was an incredibly complex lights show or just a new urban legend but after a year of sightings the people were getting nervous about it, then the governments started to discuss about it, with no official contact from the inside, the nations had it rough before taking any decision, after a year of debating the consensus was to send an committee to the island consisting on emissaries from USA, France, England, Russia and China to clear things up.

Then they encountered the barrier.

It was a circular solid transparent dome made of some kind of violet light. If the stories where true then no living human was capable of surviving within its limits and no taking any chances the stopped the ship at is edge waiting for any sign of life coming from inside.

The signal came in the form of another ship that looked like a small caravel from the colonial age, when they were close enough the five ambassadors couldn't believe what was in front of them. The caravel was being operated by a group of creatures that seemed to be small horses. After the ship was in range a white flag was hoisted on the central mast and a figure took fly from the ship to theirs. When the figure got closer they could see that it was white winged horse with a horn and adorned with golden jewelry, it landed in front of the very confused group and did something that almost trigger a heart attack on the five ambassadors.

It spoke.

"Greetings, I am the Princess Celestia, ruler of the land of Equestria." Nobody felt capable of saying a single word. "Our world was destroyed and I formally ask for asylum here in yours."

***

-The Ultima Thule, The Twelve Thrones.

Doubt, it was all in the mind of a Princess.

The doubts started with that first human, that one who was the first person to say one single word, 'no'. No to the potion, no to the conversion, no to salvation and no to life. No. Since then, every time she was alone and only with her ghost to give her company these only had on form. Doubt.

Now she had a different kind of doubt, this time it wasn't because a group of creatures refusing being saved. This time it was about her position in the universe. Since she was a filly she was told she was great and for her greatness her sacred duty was to protect those who couldn't do it for themselves, to instill hope in the heart of her subjects with the promise of a new day everyday, that was her power, that was her responsibility, to be great for for her sister, for her ponies, for her world.

But she wasn't feeling that great right now.

Sitting in the middle of the semi circle formed by the thrones she had her head low completely still, lost in her toughs until a voice sounding like thousands of voices talking snapped her out of her reflections, it was Rama Kushna who broke the silence.

"We understand that you didn't had knowledge of the existence of this tribunal, do you have any questions before we start?" Her chorus voice was calming but her facial expression was severe enough to broke a diamond.

"I--" But Celestia didn't knew what to say. After a thousands years long life of being adobe every other one and being treated as a goddess by her ponies and as a superior by everyone else now she was on presence of beings that looked her as an equal at its best. 'And they claim to be actual gods.'

"Don't be afraid little wing." Shazam said trying to calm the Princess. "We just want to clear tings up about all of this."

But Celestia stood still without saying a single word, in his seat Darkseid smirked at the view, after a time that could have been years she barely muttered. "Why?"

Odin directed his gaze to the alicorn. "You will have to be more specific if you want a proper answer." Every word charged with scorn.

The Princess raised her head to look a them, with every piece of will she could gather she asked again. "Why now?"

The northern warrior kept his glare at her while replying. "What do you mean by now?"

"It's been five years since--" She interrupted herself, the sole memory of those who died tormented her since then, every night she remembered how many took the decision of dying rather than living even when she did everything she could to save them. 'But they didn't wanted to be saved.'

While she was lost in her own mind Odin was ready to answer her but Fate was quicker. "Your majesty, as you can surely understand we all had our own responsibilities and some of us made a vow to not intervene in others realms beyond ours."

She looked a him as Zeus added. "That's the Doc's way to say that some us didn't wanted to help or didn't really care." That commentary made the Princess to glare back at them with fire in her eyes in the realization.

"You could have done something?" The same rage that exploded in a burst of fire and light moments ago was forming again inside, the ruler's heart was playing a war drum inside her, sensing her anger Shazam raised his hands in a calming gesture.

"Calm down, rage is not going to drive this anywhere. The thing is--" But he was cut off.

"The thing here is that it was your mess, your responsibility. If someone is here to blame that's you." If Celestia's rage was a sun then Odin's was a supernova.

Celestia calmed down, letting her emotions to take over was not what Star Swirl taught her neither it was the behavior of a Princess so she took deep breaths and asked again. "But you could, don't you? You could have stopped the barrier."

"That's not the point here--" But again, somebody interrupted Shazam.

"Yes." Darkseid had his hands together without looking anywhere in particular as Shazam glared at him. "What? Isn't truth part of your domain, Guardian of Magic? She wants the truth after all." He directed his gaze toward the alicorn. "Granted, that barrier was a very strong magic but for beings like us, breaking it would take no more that a proper effort."

"But the Elements..." But the phrase died in her mouth as a tear poured from her right eye. 'So many dead' She felt sick, lost, just like when her sister was lost inside herself, just like when Discord attacked her ponies, when Chrysalis defeated her. She felt powerless. But her will was stronger than her doubts, she needed to know, no matter the answer.

"And the Great Disaster?"

This time Shazam looked down, the same did Fate and Highfather as Darkseid smiled again but it was the Doctor Manhattan who spoke.

"The Great disaster is bound to happen in every universe, manifested in different ways. In one place is a Hate Plague driving every living being mad, in another it takes the form of a being calling itself the Anti-Monitor and swears to destroy the very existence." He sounded like a human but completely striped from emotions and hearing him talking about the death and destruction that represented the Great Disaster with that ease made Celestia feel uncomfortable. "Through time some universes managed to got hold on their particular disasters and even to stop them for happening so yes, your Great Disaster, it could have been prevented."

With those words she put a hoof over her eyes in complete despair, in the last fiver years the only way she found to sleep was to repeat herself. 'It was inevitable... there was nothing else to do... it was the best...' till her conscience yielded to fatigue every night to the dark embrace of dreams. Now she was hearing something completely different '...it could have been prevented,' she knew he wasn't lying, she refused to open her eyes again till she felt a hand on her shoulder. Shazam was trying to comfort the broken mare but she didn't raised her face nor moved her body so the Guardian of Magic looked back as his equals and said.

"She's not in condition to face this right now."

"So? Justice doesn't wait for those who aren't ready, justice must be absolute." Odin never showed any mercy on those who threatened life in front of him before and by Asgard he wasn't going to start now.

"But Shazam has a point." Zeus added. "It's not fair if she can't defend herself and I know you hate an unfair fight." The thunder god was smiling at him.

"This is only delaying the unavoidable." Unicron smashed his fist in his throne. "Even if we don't have a consensus we all made out our minds, lets what has to be done be done."

But Odin seemed calmer now. "If you have a better idea I would like to hear it."

"I'm just saying that this is like eleven against one and without giving the little girl a chance to explain herself first. I thought that the wisdom of the universe would give you more perspective about fair play." Rama Kushna and Highfather reacted to that statement too, she just looked again at the alicorn with less severity this time as he put his hands together in front of him barely blinking, the thunder god made a point.

"I'm not defenseless." A soft voice replied from behind Shazam. "I did nothing wrong, just what was needed to be done to save all those I could." Even if she was out of place Celestia was still royalty, if she had to face beings more powerful than her for her actions then so be it, the last time she faced somebody bigger than her he was reduced to stone. "Knowing that I devoted my life to helping others and that I never harmed no innocent I know that I have nothing to fear if your judgement is the fair one."

"Even you Odin, with all your rage, have to admit that the young sun has some determination for herself." Darkseid pointed out.

"Her determination does not justifies her actions." Then looking at Celestia. "I don't care if you say that you are right. You were in charge and everything went to hell under your command." Celestia opened her mouth to reply but he ignored her. "But to force you before a tribunal you never knew is not fair."

"I think I have the solution. Back when my predecessor died." Everybody indirectly looked at the Spectre knowing too well that the original Wizard died by his hands. "I had to take his mantle so my former title of Champion of Magic as the Captain Marvel had to be passed to another person, but before he could claim my old powers he had to pass through a series of trials and judgments to prove himself worthy..." That made Celestia remember when the Elements tested her and her sister and then again when she let that legacy to her student. For a moment her mind drifted to her family 'how were they doing? do they know that I'm gone?' She felt the need to know how her land was doing without her.

'Don't worry, the Phantom Stranger is now explaining to them whats happening' A voice assured her in her mind, she recognized it as the Doctor Fate's so she looked at him noticing that his eyes inside his helmet where shining in gold, she thought again.

'But if they don't believe him? Luna can be mistrustful sometimes and Twilight and the others may suspect if they see a human after five years since they died'

'They will believe him, I can give that peace to you for now. But I'm sorry to point out that the matter at hand requires your attention again.' His eyes ceased to glow as Celestia put attention again to what Shazam was saying.

"...so I propose that each one of us judge her under our own terms giving her a chance to explain herself till a majority is expressed." Immediately the place busted in an discussion of who was going first and who would decide the order of the interviews, everybody giving they own reasons for doing his way except for the Spectre who stood silent for a while till it seemed that he decided that the discussion where going nowhere.

"Silence." He calmly said as he raised from his seat.

It wasn't an order nor a plead, it was just a word that became a fact when all of them fell silent without even questioning, the Princess asked herself who could be this being that inspired such respect in others that assured where gods but instinctively she also felt that the self proclaimed 'Angel of Death' was something to fear.

"Its decided then, the Princess Celestia will be put under trial of each one of us, the trial will take place in the judge's realm and under his terms." Darkseid and Unicron looked pleased with that comment making Shazam to worry. "But also I will put my own conditions for every trial." He raised his gloved hand glowing in green, Celestia felt the embrace of a coldness as an aura of the same color surrounded her but she didn't dared to move. "First, she is innocent till a collective decision say otherwise. The individual verdicts can only be guilty or innocent, nothing else." The aura pulsated. "Second, do not harm her if she can't defend herself." Another pulse. "Third, if the judge need to know about her realm an herald can be sent but he can not intervene. Until the decision s made her realm is under the Spectre's protection." A final pulse and the glow dissipated, Celestia felt a inner peace knowing that her ponies weren't being menaced for now. "Everybody agree?"

There were no response except for a collective nod.

"Since he proposed this, the Guardian of Magic will be the first judge and to prevent any foreign intervention the trial will take place in his realm at the Rock of Eternity till he emits a verdict." And he disappeared in a green mist, the others left the place in similar ways as they came, all of them except for Shazam who stood in front of the Princess.

She took a moment to look around first, now that the gods left the place was in an absolute calm contrasting with Celestia's mindset, it was said that a being who lived long enough was capable of feel everything in it's purest state, if that was true then the alicorn's mind was a storm of feelings; doubt, fear, resolution, anger and some that only immortals could feel and understand but adobe all was a complete loneliness that she didn't felt since the Elements sealed Luna her own moon.

"Ejem."

The sound brought her back from her thoughts, she looked to Shazam who was calmer now that they were alone.

"Look, I know how is to meet gods for the first time and I know how you're feeling."

"You, you do?"

"Yeah, I mean." Shazam put is hand behind his neck. "Is not like you are alone in this, we all were small once."

That comment didn't improved her feelings but to know a sympathizing being was good enough to put her back on her senses. "Can I ask you something?" Shazam nodded. "Who are you?"

"Well, that's very complicated to explain, just try to accept that for now I'm an ally and, if you allow it, a friend."

That last word hit something inside the Princess, 'Friend.' she knew exactly how powerful could be a concept like that but she was still unsure to befriend one of her prosecutors.

"Come on that can't be all, when I first meet the Wizard I bombarded him with questions at every chance." He was now smiling at her which gave the alicorn the confidence to keep asking. She tried to remember all that she saw as a question appeared.

"That being, the last to appear, who is he?"

"The white scary guy dressed in green? That's the Spectre, the very spirit of vengeance. Think of him as the personification of every innocent that ever cried for vengeance. As far as I understand, when the blood of Abel cried for the Lord it was the Spectre who marked Cain forever." Shazam clearly didn't liked speaking of the Spectre but the Princess needed to know.

"You can really judge me? Do you have the authority to do it?" She didn't show any fear now, just a calm and collected desire to understand better what was happening.

"I can't speak for the others but I just want to keep things right, it's what I've been doing since I got my first title and a friend showed me how to fight for truth, justice an freedom. I believe in those things as I believe in what is fair, and what happened to you wasn't so I take as my sacred duty to fix that." When he said that Celestia could feel a real conection between them, she knew how it was to fight for a belief and for what Shazam said he too.

"But you are only one, what happens if only you are on my side? Can you help me?" She didn't liked to ask for help, that made her feel small...er even smaller of how she was feeling right now.

"I'm really sorry but if the others said that you're guilty there isn't much I can do stop them, I know that it looks very dark right now but there's always hope." But she didn't seemed really sure, Inside her mind there was a battle. One side was screaming that she was innocent, that all that happened was a tragedy but that she wasn't to blame for all of that 'You did the best you could, what happened was too big for you to stop it. That makes you innocent.'. On the other side was a complete guilt of not being able to do more, of not being strong enough for everybody, the guilt of failing. But it wasn't enough, you failed. That makes you guilty.

"Look, Princess, now I need to do something before we start so I'm gonna give you the location of my home where we can continue with this." Celestia just lowered her head in agreement as Shazam stepped closer to her to touch the tip of her horn with a finger, he calmly said. "Shazam." And an electric bolt traveled through her horn. "There you go, now you should be able to find the Rock by yourself. Go and we will meet there in a moment."

Celestia could now feel the path to follow, like a trail revealed in front of her as if the whole existence was speaking to her now, pointing where she needed to go. She opened her wings but before following the path she turned one last time to ask the only question she felt that counted.

"I am really guilty of what happened?"

Shazam just looked at her with a face that showed only good. "That's what we will have to find out." And he waved her as she took fly to the Rock of Eternity leaving the Guardian of Magic alone. "You can be visible now, she already left and you're not fooling me."

A golden glow in the form of an ankh appeared from behind him as the Doctor Fate emerged from it. "What do you think?"

He lowered his sight in defeat. "I think that she's lost Kent and I don't need the wisdom of Solomon to tell you that. Why you didn't told me before?"

"Her fate was sealed until this point Batson, even if we knew about her before we wouldn't be able to help her more than now."

"I truly believe that everybody has the benefit of doubt, but her? Unless that there's something that you're not telling me I find really hard to believe what she did."

"You said it yourself, there's always hope." And he disappeared again, this time for real as the Guardian of Magic just sighed.

"Let's see how this turns out."

Author's Note

Oh God, I finally did it. Here's the third chapter please enjoy it and as always leave your comment or, considering how long it took to be published, your rage fueled complain about my slow writing (although I have a very good excuse for the delay).

To clarify, the events described by Shazam happened in Day of Vengeance and The Trials of SHAZAM!

The questions made by Celestia are credited to:
Sparkfire for the question "Why now?"
Red Bomber for "You could have done something?"
Giz for "who is he?" (the Spectre) and "You can really judge me?"

Also special thanks to stormscorpion who offered his services as editor for this chapter (what do you guys say? he did a good job or not?).

And of course thanks to you, my reader, who waited patiently for this chapter.

Innocence (part one)

-Ten years ago.

From the archives of the old world:

Start of the cassette. "Hello? It's anybody listening?" Beat. "Okay, I don't know if someone or, God helps me, some pony will ever hear this but I want to at least leave a record from before... before we..." Sobbing. "Where I was? Oh yeah, the end of the world. Or at least what I think is the end."

"It all started with those ponies." Whoever is talking is breathing heavily. "Okay, that may be unfair. I don't know! We don't know!" Something crash, it sounds like glass and metal. "Okay, I should start with the beginning."

"About two years ago, a new continent appeared out of nowhere." Pause "But I think that you should know what follows." A bottle can be heard being opened." *gulp* "Then it happened to be populated for all kind of weird things but specially ponies. Yes, you heard that right. Little, pastel colored horses. They even talk! But that's another think you should know by now."

"They asked for asylum. Apparently their world was destroyed or consumed or something between those lines, they don't like to talk about it. But the point is that barrier." Another glass breaking, this time followed by the sound of liquid. "Okay, to the point. Their continent was surrounded by some kind of barrier; it didn't affected matter or energy so no scan detected it. We scratched all the scientific explanations. Our head were about to explode when we discovered two important thing about it." A lighter clicks, a soft exhalation.

"The first one was that every human, and specifically human, that somehow ended inside it dies in forty seconds. The bodies that we managed to retrieve showed a massive intoxication on every single organ." Pause. "The poor ones, they looked like being under radiations for months, even that psycho of Edward was perturbed after seeing how they looked." Another pause, another exhalation. "There wasn't any logical explanation of how it worked or an effective way to prevent it. Again, no explanations."

"Then we discovered that we were going to die." Beat. "The thing was expanding."

"The ponies showed real concern on that, unless they are a whole race of skilled actors and liars. They tried everything they could, even something called 'The Elements of Harmony' but the barrier didn't stop nor ceased to kill us." Another bottle is opened, the sound of swallowing. "That's it! We're not going to wait till these bloody ponies get their act together! The guys from the D.C. finally made out their minds and are sending the nuke." *sobs* "If those thing doesn't work." *heavy breath* "Oh God, this is our last hope. We have come to the point that a nuclear inferno and decades, if not centuries, of radiation is our last hope to avoid death." An alarm stars sounding. "This is it. The planes are in range. Gotta go to record the events." Noise of someone putting on a lab coat. "This is Doctor Henry Jekyll, if this work then I will destroy this stupid record but if you're hearing this it means that the human race is doomed." End of the cassette.

***

-The Rock of Eternity.

There's a place, beyond the imagination, where magic is watched and protected. In a void composed of only a blue background, like and endless blue sky, there's a floating rock. It can be however its owner needs it to be, from the size of a single room to a full house and even bigger if the Guardian of Magic needs it to be.

A lonely white figure flew from the horizon, not really fast but constantly coming closer at each second. When it was close enough it descended to the entrance of the rock. She didn't knew how she ended there or how she knew where to fly, the only thing she knew that forces beyond her actual understanding were about to let their judgement over her. One of them apparently favoring her, maybe the only one, instructed her to come here in order to help her.

Princess Celestia stood still in front of the entrance. It looked like the passage to the cavern of an old dragon or to a long forgotten tomb of an ancient pharaoh. 'Why I'm here? What am I doing here?'

After thinking about her situation and steeling herself she took the first steps into the rock. After walking for what could have been years or mere seconds, but since the alicorn was completely alone on her walk, the time that took her to get inside will remain unknown, she came to a simple door made out of wood.

Beyond the door she found herself in a stone hall, no smaller than her old throne room which reminded her the home she was forced to abandon. She advanced further, examining the room as she did. The first thing to catch her eyes where seven grotesque statues, each one representing a different action. Over the statues, carved into the stone, was the tittle 'The Seven Deadly Enemies of Life' and under each one a different name.

"Pride, envy, greed, anger, sloth, lust and gluttony." She read to herself. Coming closer to Envy, she intermediately felt an immense amount of magic. It was strange and savage but at the same time it felt almost familiar, like she had been in the presence of similar magic before but she couldn't put her hoof on it, till the memory of a world ruled by chaos and disharmony assaulted her. 'Discord!' The princess backed away from the statue, invaded by fear as she started to see that those were no ordinary stones. The thought of seven beings with the power of the draconequs running free overwhelmed her mind.

"I see that you've found the sins, I was frightened too when I first saw them." Someone said from the other side of the room, Celestia looked in the direction of the voice to find Shazam seated in the stone throne at the end of the place. He rose from his seat to walk next to her. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh no, sorry. Is just that I'm still confused for all of this."

"Don't worry. As I said, I was just as clueless my first time here. You get used to it after a while." He rubbed the back of his head. "So, shall we go to the study? I can explain some things to you as we figure out what to do." He invited her with a gesture to follow him and they walked to a door next to the throne.

***

-Meanwhile, on earth.

Everypony was panicking. After twenty four hours out of New Canterlot, the Princess should have been here with the mid-day sun as she has been doing for the last five years. Luna left her own guarding duties following the night to help with the scared ponies at the capital. Inside the palace were gathered the Elements with some of the most prominent and influential members of their society trying to make some sense out of this.

"Where is she?" Said the most. "We did something wrong!" Said the pessimist. "It's the Disaster again." Said a lonely guard that has seen too much action for a single life.

"CALM DOWN EVERYPONY!" Luna called with a seismic voice that shook the ground itself. The sheer impact of hearing the Princess of the Night shouting was more than enough to bring a silence worthy of a cemetery. "Now, if my sister wishes to be alone for a while that doesn't mean that you will cower in fear just because she's not here." Ever since the unification, Luna has become accustomed with Celestia being more distant. "We just follow with our daily basis as we always do." Then she looked at the guards. "And you will look for her. Send the message to the other cities and warn them to look for my sister just in case."

"That won't be necessary, ruler of night. For your sister is not here at the moment." Everypony gasped when they turned around and saw it. The Phantom just walked to Princess Luna, never minding the stunned ponies around him. "Fear not, Luna of the stars, your sister is in no perish but her presence was required somewhere else." Luna just stood there, thinking how it was possible for a human to be around.

"And you are?" At first she wanted to say 'what are you' but that sounded too rude in her mind.

"Not an enemy but neither an ally, for me I will always be a Stranger."

Twilight came closer to the Phantom, still trying to figure out how a human could be alive. Inside her mind it couldn't be possible, humans were dead or converted to pony but yet, there he was, right in front of her. 'What is he?'

"Even if I spent the next five years explaining to you who am I, bearer of magic, you wouldn't understand." He said in that same monotone voice but never turning around to face Twilight. Still looking at Luna, he continued. "If you still do not believe in my word I understand that the bearer of the concept of honesty is at your service. She can confirm for you that I only speak the truth." Applejack, who was there with the rest of the Elements, stepped forward saying.

"I'm the Element of Honesty mister." The Stranger turned around and knelt down to be at the same eye level with the farmer pony. He took off his fedora, revealing a grey hair and looking at her with pure white eyes he said.

"Your Princess is now facing the consequences of what happened here. The higher powers are judging her actions and yours too. Each one of them will send a messenger to testify the impact as I will guard to impede any injustice to happen." Inside her head, the words from the Phantom felt like hearing the very emptiness of an old abandoned barn as his eyes were like staring at the bottom of a specially dark and deep abyss. And the abyss was looking back at her. She could tell that he was telling the truth, that was the only thing sure for the earth pony.

"H-He-- He's telling the truth."

***

-The Rock of Eternity.

Shazam and Celestia entered to a room decorated like a restaurant. Various tables arranged in a Victorian fashion under the light of a crystal tear lamp. He moved a chair for the Princess that was suspiciously modified for a pony like her as he sat at the other side of the small table. He offered her something to drink , after thinking about it she asked for some simple earl grey tea. Muttering something, he made appear with a thunder a coup of the infusion and a milkshake for him.

"So, any other questions you want to ask? I know for experience that by this point there's still a lot of confusion."

She took a moment to reconsider her thoughts, the internal storm of her mind threatening to tear her sanity apart. But she have been before against the adversity of being defenseless, she learned how to keep her mind straight and to not lose herself in despair. She learned that lesson back when Discord menaced her sister and her ponies.

"What happens now?"

"Straight to the point, huh?" Shazam sighed. "Well, I'll be honest with you. You're in trouble. A big one." There will be a time for subtlety but at that moment he knew he had to be honest. "As Odin said, a whole species disappeared and you were in charge at the moment."

"But I did everything I could."

"As beings like us should. But basic morality is not the problem here. The problem is to convince the others that you actually did everything you could." Then looking directly at her eyes. "But first I really need to know something." His tone went from friendly and paternal to harsh and direct. "Do you really feel sorry for what happened?"

"For not being able to handle the Disaster or for the Barrier?" That was it. She couldn't hold it anymore. "Or for being unable to convince half of a species to look over their prejudices and fears in order to live?" He was about to reply but she continued. "I AM SORRY." She said, her voice making the room to shake. "I'm just a terrible protector. I've tried my best but since the Disaster and then I've been just failing and failing." Tears started to pour from her eyes. "I've always guarded life in my home. I always protected the innocents even if that meant to make sacrifices, to lose my only family." Shutting her eyes tight. "I even gave up my own freedom for them, for everyone, only to be sure that they would be safe, and why? Just to fail when it counted the most."

Shazam rose up and hugged her, stroking her mane trying to console the broken mare. "Shh, it's all right." He remembered the first time he failed too. "We all commit mistakes, it's not your fault."

"Yes it is. Half of them died only because they mistrusted me. ME! It's my entire fault." The once sure and strong mare that she used to be was being consumed by despair and guilt since the very first victim of the barrier. Now all that pressure was making her collapse.

In his mind there was playing a very similar scene. Only that he was on Celestia's role and the last son of a dead world was consoling him. He hugged her as whispering. "Believe me, I know how you feel."

"D-do you?" Between sobs. "Do you know?"

"Yes, I do." He remembered his own battles, his own monsters. He knew.

Celestia freed herself from the consoling hug. Trying to regain her posture but with tears still falling from her eyes. 'I need to know.' She thought before asking. "I know that you are on my side, I believe you when you say it. But..." The question was there, in her mouth, ready to come out. "But what if you're the only one? What will happen if I'm guilty?"

"You're not guilty for this." He avoided the question, knowing far too well how bad the real answer was. But even if Celestia was still new for all of this she knew when someone was hiding something from her. She asked again.

"What will happen if the majority points me as guilty?"

"It's not the majority. The votes are tied so we can work with this."

Celestia looked at him fiercely. The temperature of the room started to rise as she pressed her right fore leg against the floor. She asked one last time, slow and clear. "What waits for me if I'm declared guilty?" The tears on her face boiled to vapor as the sun's heat surrounded her.

Shazam sighed. He didn't want to tell her this. She was too innocent yet, she didn't deserve it. Hesitating he started to speak. "Do you know about a book called the Bible?"

"Yes." She answered between gritted teeth.

"Do you remember the story of Moses and the Pharaoh?" This time Celestia didn't answer but nodded slowly to him. He took the cue. "The ten plagues."

Suddenly, as quick as it appeared, all the heat around the solar alicorn abandoned her. Her pupils shrank as her breath and heart stopped for a moment. Fear took the anger's place. Shazam noted this and continued.

"When He declared the ten plagues to siege Egypt, it was the Spectre who released them." He took a time for her to process it. "If you're found guilty, the Spectre will be on charge of your punishment. He won't stop with you, he will go for those around you who could do something too."

"No." 'Luna, Twilight, my ponies. My family. "NO!" Breathing heavily. Shazam just looked with compassion at her as he remembered his first time hearing about the Spectre. He was surprised when Celestia spoke again.

"I will not let him do that." She said, will overpowering her inner fears. "I don't care how powerful he claims to be, but if he threatens to be even near my family I will fight him, even if that kills me. I may have failed in the past but that doesn't mean I still try. I will fight the heavens and hell if necessary but he will not touch them. And if he truly is the divine wrath of the creator then I will offer myself in their place. Their punishments will be mine, even if I have to suffer them seven fold or seventy fold. If I have to die and resurrect for all eternity only to receive the punishment meant for them, so be it. But he won’t. Touch. My. Family." She didn't notice, but around her the air was hot and dry, the furniture near to her ignited and became ash as fast as a blink and the stone floor directly touching her hooves was now liquid.

Shazam looked back at her in amazement. 'I should have known.' He couldn't do anything but amaze before the alicorn's resolution. 'And there I thought she was broke. I'm glad that even Solomon's wisdom can be wrong sometimes.' He smiled warmly as putting his hand over her shoulder. Guardian of Magic was his tittle. It wasn't meant as some kind of authority investment but a responsibility as well. His calming touch and soft expression were enough to snap her out of her own anger. Panting, Celestia spoke once again.

"What do I need to do?" Shazam stared at her, not sure of what she meant. Not hearing an answer she asked again. "I can see that you can't simply point me as innocent." Her tone was the same she used back in her home. "If you could, you would have done that already." The time for regrets and sorrows was over and now it was time to face destiny and look at its face in complete dignity. "I assume there's something I need to do in order to prove myself." Her fear was no more a fire threatening to consume her, now it was the fire that powered her will to live. Again, not for herself but for her ponies.

"I asked you a question. I've followed your instructions coming here, I told you things that nobody else should know and I'm even ready to accept your judgement, even if it's against me. The only thing that I ask is your honesty. No more detours and no more doubts. Just tell me what I have to do."

Shazam stood confused for a while before even changing his expression. When he did, his face changed from amazement at the courage of the pony to the same determination that she showed. "Very well then." He turned around and started to walk, gesturing her to follow. "At first I just said right there and then that you were innocent. You tried your best and even managed to save countless lives. Blaming you for not being able to save the entire world when you were the only one doing something about it is just wrong."

"But as you can suppose, the Spectre, Odin and some of the others said that my word wasn't enough to prove that, which lead us to the Stranger going for you and starting all of this." The entered again to the throne room.

"Six trials, six tasks that I will put you into. If you manage to pass them then you have proven you worthy abode any judgement that I can put on you and therefore innocent will be the only verdict I will be enabled to proclaim."

"Are you ready, Princess Celestia?" He asked her projecting all his authority with each word. She didn't showed any doubt or fear anymore. She had proven herself before, to the Elements and once again to her subjects. Ready or not she knew that it didn't matter, her destiny called for her once again.

"I am ready."

He smiled at her. "Before we star I want to tell you something. I believe in you, and so did the Wizard." He raised a hand closed into a fist. "Good luck Princess Celestia, I'll be waiting here for you to come victorious." And he shouted once more. "SHAZAM!"

She never heard the thunder nor saw the lightning before disappearing.

Author's Note

Yep, the tittle is my way to say 'take that!' to all those whose only comment consisted in variations of "kill her" instead of calling for actual justice.
And for the record, from now, every time someone says 'kill/punish/destroy/torture her' or any other variation, I will give her another 'innocent' vote and she only needs five more to get scot-free from this so stop doing it.

Also, sorry for taking so long. I wanted this chapter to be the best I could and got carried with corrections and rewrites. This may not be perfect but I put my heart and mind on it so you can read something worthy for you patience.

Innocence (part two)

-Wisdom

Celestia appeared in the middle of a road. It looked like it was in a countryside but she couldn't identify where. It’s not earth and she already lost any hope of being in Equestria since there was no place like this since the Disaster but she didn't want to remember that. Instead she greeted the warm sensation of the calm scenery in front of her, the soft breeze, the kind sun, the relaxing sound of silence. She stretched her wing to take flight and see where she was but a cough interrupted her.

"Excuse me?" Turning around in the direction of the sound, she found a woman walking down the road with a white stick in front of her and black shades covering her eyes. Dressed rather simply, a white top and jeans along with black leather boots. Tattoos and leather bands adorning her dark skinned arms and a ponytail holding her black hair. "Hi, my name is Zallman, Rachel Zallman. But you may call me Zally."

"Greetings." Responded Celestia. "Are you here to judge me?" She wasn't sure, but she knew that this couldn't be a coincidence.

"Not bad, it seems that you are smarter than I thought, Princess." The woman got closer to her, taking her glasses off to reveal two white eyes. She reached to the pony's face with her hands and started to palpate. "You have a very kind expression, a little bit frowned recently. Yes, I'm here to judge you, only in a simple manner. But first I want to know, why am I judging you anyway?"

"You don't know?" Asked the alicorn.

"Actually yes, but I need YOU to tell me. Play along or not, it's your decision as it's mine to mark you guilty or innocent." Celestia blinked for a moment realizing that she wasn't in position of questioning the rules. Meanwhile Zally pointed behind her with a thumb. "Why don't we come to my place? You can explain me while we walk."

They started to walk, Celestia occasionally warned Zally about holes, rocks and any other obstacles in the road that could make the blind woman to fall. Minutes passed and then a full hour till Zally broke the silence. "Well, I'm waiting. Why did he think that I need to assess you?"

"I." But something finally snapped into her mind. 'Why I'm being judged again?' She remembered one of them saying something about the humans but then the one in armor said that everything was her fault anyways. "I don't know. I've done all on my reach to protect as many as I could."

"Why don't you tell me the full story?" Offered the blind. Celestia didn't want to remember again, it was too painful. But Zally didn't show any signs of malevolence, just simple curiosity, so she started her tale. It took her almost another hour to explain the whole thing.

Zally was a good listener. Not brusque inquiring but obtaining her results, obviously understanding what she's hearing. Celestia surprised herself telling her everything, about the first years with the refugees, the jump from Equus and how the relationships went with earth's nations. The barrier, the failed attempts to stop it. The potion. The Bureaus.

After all was said Celestia was about to cry, but Zally was already telling her that she doesn't judge her. She let the Princess talk and only asked her when something is not clear. Suspiciously, they arrived to a red house at the side of the road just in time as they stopped talking. It had only one story and seemed to be in a very good state despite having an old appearance.

"Well, the road is over and I have what I wanted." Said the woman. "I only have one last question, have you ever made a mistake?"

"What?"

"A mistake, an error, a fail. After all you have been through, have you committed mistakes? Or are you flawless?" Celestia stepped back from her, memories assaulting her mind. Various scenes from thousands of years old life flashed in front of her till one was the most prominent. The sight of a black alicorn mare shouting in a thunderous voice. 'Eternal night!'

"Of course I've mistaken. Nopony is perfect." When looking back at her life, the very idea of being flawless sounded impossible.

"Except for a god. Aren't you supposed to be one?" Zally replied, taking her shades off again. Celestia thought again. 'I am a god, or not?' Sure she was immortal and she was abode everyone else in her world (her birth world and the one that gave her refuge) and she had the power to sustain that. 'Power and authority. Does that make a god?' She stood in front of the house as Zally looked back at her till she finally came with an answer.

"I'm not a god." A thunder roared from the distance and a flash of light covered the alicorn, leaving only a scorched trace in the floor.

"Good answer." Said the heiress of Solomon.

***

-Strength

When Celestia opened her eyes again she had to blink various times to be sure that she wasn't hallucinating (a feeling that was getting alarmingly common). She wasn't in that countryside anymore. Instead, she was hovering on a cloud, over what looked like a village (not different from Ponyville) in the middle of a valley.

"Invasion!" A desperate cry came from below. She looked down to see that the small village was inhabited by both humans and ponies as also a group of bipedal creatures that looked to be in the middle of equine and human. Curious about this and concerned for the previous cry, Celestia descended from her cloud to ground level. Once there she could see how every villager stormed into a house or hid somewhere. Nobody seemed to acknowledge her presence.

One of the half equine half human creatures ran directly into Celestia's side and felt to its back. The alicorn could finally have a better look at this creature. It wasn't taller than an infant human. Its skin was covered by light coat of mint green fur, cyan human hair and a pony tail of the same color on her back, legs ending in hooves but arms with hands. It was wearing a dress and a top so Celestia assumed that it was female. Finally, a small unicorn horn between her hairs. After rubbing her head with a hand she opened a pair of golden eyes and looked at the Princess.

"What seems to be the problem?" Celestia asked, wondering if this pony-human creature was supposed to be her judge.

"They are coming!" She cried out loud, shaking in fear. That brought the Sun Princess some bad memories.

"Who are coming?" Trying to keep a calm tone, mostly for the little girl's sake.

"THEY!" Pointing a finger behind Celestia. She turned around to see a massive army marching down one of the mountains directly to the village. Humans, griffins, changelings, diamond dogs, dragons, golems, zebras, minotaurs, centaurs, goblins and so on. The only common theme was that they were all wearing the same kind of armor. Golden plates with silver borders and fluttering white capes armed with spears, swords and arrows.

"Who-- What is that?"

"The-they are The Horde miss. They conquer everything on their path for The Order. The Emperor from Beyond Dawn." The small pony-girl answered again. "If you can, escape for they know no mercy. Only those who submit to them and swear eternal loyalty are spared."

Celestia took a moment to think about it. She was an outsider, this didn't concern her. Also, this village wasn't showing any resistance so maybe this Horde were about to spare them. And even if they won't, it wasn't her business. She was already in a lot of troubles for the last time she intervened and she didn't want to have more.

But.

This girl seemed really frightened for what was incoming. She thought for a moment. 'As far as I know, these villagers are innocent.' No innocent deserved to be attacked by an army like that. And as they approached she could notice, by their gestures, that they weren't going for anything less than a fight. Also, taking down an army wasn't beyond her abilities, she had made that point very clear back on earth. She was strong enough to take stand up against them. 'I can help them.'

"Little one." She spoke, not in her soft motherly tone but in the regal voice of a ruler. The girl looked up to her. "Go." Pausing to look at them. "Go and tell everybody to take shelter but don't fear anymore." She was sure that at some point, in a very near future, she was going to regret her next words. "For now, this village is under the protection of the Sun." But right now her resolve was bigger than any future regret.

She started to walk into the Horde's direction, small steps first but a full trot when she realized that the Horde was running too. Right before she and the fastest members of the monstrous army could meet, another thunder hit her. Only that this time it also fulminated the whole army in front of her. When the light had dissipated, a forest appeared in the place where seconds before was an ocean of weapons, a tree for every soldier. In the place where Celestia was struck by the lightning, was a glass stalagmite that refracted the sunlight with all the colors of the rainbow. During centuries, the story of how the Sun itself sent his daughter to defend the small village from the world's greatest army and the wonderful statue left to prove the veracity of that story would inspire writers and listeners for generations.

The girl walked to where Celestia was hit by the thunder and smiled.

"The strong ones stand up for themselves, but the stronger ones stand up for others who can't." Sentenced the last daughter of Leonidas, true son of Heracles.

***

-Courage

Celestia kept her race to the army, horn charged with magic, when she noticed that the army was gone.

Actually, the whole place was gone. Instead, she found herself in the middle of a dessert. She tried to fly but, to her surprise, her wings felt too weak for thrust her from the ground. When she concentrated to conjure magic, the same happened to her horn, it was exhausting to even conjure the smallest spark, let alone a full spell. Without idea where she was, she did the only thing left. Walk.

After various meters she started to feel tired, which wasn't natural for her either. Usually she would be able to walk an entire planet without breaking a sweat, right now she felt like her hooves were burning and even her golden plates felt too heavy to lift. The sun above her head wasn't giving her power like the one from Equus or greeting her like the one on Earth. Instead, it was tiring to even stay in its sun presence. 'How ironic.' Crossed her mind. ’Raising a sun for millenniums, connecting with another for years and now.' She took a moment before articulating the next thought. 'Now I'm about to suffer from isolation.'

But refusing to give up, she still walked. Hours passed and the sun traveled from her right to her left when she finally saw something that was greeting instead of menacing. An oasis.

Finding new strength in her hope, she galloped there. Tired, thirsty and her muscles crying pain in every possible way, she reached the edge of the oasis only to faint right there. Before letting darkness embrace her, she managed to see a silhouette approaching her. Then darkness.

After the darkness, the dreams started. It was always the same; Equus falling to the Great Disaster, humanity mistrusting them, how the Barrier resisted any attempt to stop it. Her student burning her head, trying to find a cure along with the greatest minds from two worlds. The potion, the bureaus, the attempts of war. Thousands of lives ending just out of stubbornness and pride. Thousands of deaths that she couldn't stop. And finally, everything devoured by darkness, except for white dot in the endless black void.

The white face of death, mocking her.

She turned around and started to run away from the vision. It wasn't the first time she saw it in her dreams, but something about this occasion was making it way more frightening than the usual. The darkness around her softened and took the form of a hallway and then a mace. As she galloped, time seemed to slow down but she didn't stop for a moment and never slowed down. Not knowing how, but something told her that she wasn't alone in that nightmare maze.

Something was down there with her.

The time was now even slower, every step was taking her ages to move her. She didn't know if this was real or not. The only thought that counted was to escape. Escape from judgement, escape from mad gods, escape from this madness and from this nightmare.

But overall, escape from whatever that was following her.

Seconds passed. Minutes passed.

Days, weeks.

Months.

Years.

It wanted her.

It wanted her to step outside of the bright parts, into the shadows. But she wasn't going to do it. She navigated the endless maze through the bright parts, always following the light. Where she was safe. Safe from it.

After turning right. 'Or was that my left?' She came into a room completely white. There were no shadows in there. In the middle of the room, there was a fountain, with the statue of an owl in the middle as the water flowed from its beak to the main pool. She walked next to the pool and thought about drinking the water. It seemed clean and she was really thirsty but. 'What if this is a trap from it?'

But the thirst was too much and she didn't even remembered how did water tasted. After all this time, there were lot of things she wasn't remembering neither. She still knew that her name was Celestia, that she was the princess of the ponies and their protector. She remembered her home, Equestria, as a land of happiness and plenitude.

She remembered the fear.

She stayed in the room without shadows, too afraid to go outside. But after a year. 'A second?'. The lights went off and the shadows devoured the white room. Out or reflex, she bent into the ground and shut her eyes. She could hear something coming closer. Some thing.

But as suddenly, as a shooting star that appears only for a moment before disappearing, she remembered it all. The destruction, the escape, the death, the peace. She remembered the pain and the suffering. She remembered the Stranger and the gods. Finally, after all this time, she remembered why she was scared. ' And I have had it with the fear!'

She opened her eyes.

The thunder claimed Celestia, leaving the eternal soldier alone in the oasis.

"It's not about being fearless. It's about fearing and still going." That was Achilles's creed.

***

-Power

This time Celestia knew where she was going. She was Celestia. She wasn't Celestia.

She was Celestia because she had all her memories. The same things that made Celestia suffer were making her suffer too. She remembered Discord's threatening gaze and the madness that he caused. She knew about Luna and Cadance, about Twilight and Blueblood. Her family. She could feel their hearts.

She wasn't Celestia because she knew things that Celestia didn't. She knew what was behind the Great Disaster and she knew what caused the Barrier to appear. She also knew how to bring humanity back, how to make real peace. And she knew what was going to happen in the end. Where, when and how Celestia would face the white face of death. And only she knew what was going to happen after that.

She wasn't Celestia. Unlike Celestia, she knew everything she could want. She knew who was meant to sit on the twelfth throne, and everything about the owners of the other eleven. She knew the future of Shazam. She knew how Odin was going to die. She knew Darkseid's and Highfather’s secrets. She knew that Miracleman and the Doctor Manhattan were created by the same hand. She knew the answers Rama Kushna didn't. She knew about Unicron (she knew about Primus). She knew about the sons and daughters of Zeus. She knew what lied inside Doctor Fate's tower.

She knew the Spectre's past.

But there was one thing she didn't know. She didn't know what had become of Equus. What happened to her (to Celestia's) home?

She was Celestia, she knew how to teleport herself. She wasn't Celestia, teleportation didn't need her energy. It wasn't even teleportation. It was more like she already existed everywhere in Celestia's world. She just needed constant focus on a point and there she was, in the middle of the wasteland that once was Equestria.

The air was toxic to every living being, the water was boiled and dissipated on the atmosphere, the once fertile ground was replaced for salt and brimstone and a fire storm was ravaging everything. The skies were red as if they were bleeding. The place was uninhabitable even on a metaphysical level, just because the story said so (she knew about the story/stories).

"NOOOO!"

The power emerged from Celestia even before she was aware (she wasn't Celestia).
The power was limitless, enough to bring back life (she wasn't Celestia!).

Limitless power fighting death itself on a conceptual level (SHE WASN'T CELESTIA!).

Power beyond imagination, even greater than the power of The Eleven!

Nothing

Her head felt in defeat. The land was still a death land.

But suddenly she heard it. The voices of the past ones. Like a chorus composed of hundred/thousand/millions of voices calling her (Celestia's) name. Sun gods and goddesses, spirits from the distant past and the far future. They said only one thing.

"We are the sons and daughters of the first god, the sun. Take our power." Ra, Lugh.

"Our power can consume a world as it never existed. Take it!" Apollo, Inti.

"We've watched life from before the concept even existed. Our power is yours, Celestia. TAKE IT!"

"TAKE IT!"

Then... Only a single voice, full of hope and goodwill, strong and noble. The voice that ordered the light into existence.

"It's your turn."

The voice was calm.

"It's your turn, Celestia. It's now or never." Let there be light.

"My power is yours, Celestia. Take it." Let there be light!

The power of the First Light flowed inside her. Through her horn, wings and hooves. The power she thought limitless before (she wasn't Celestia) was nothing compared to this. Her hooves where the earth itself, her wings had the sky within them and her horn was the stars. Her body was the universe, every galaxy that ever existed and will exist. Bringing life back to a dead world seemed so little now she could create a universe (she wasn't Celestia). But still, even if now she was above existence itself (she wasn't Celestia) she still wanted live to exist. She still cared.

"Life matters."

Somewhere else, Celestia awoke with the sound of thunder.

***

-Resistance

Now let’s go back to reality, Celestia just had a nightmare. That's the only explanation.

Celestia was inside of what seemed like a cavern, illuminated by the glow of several torches on the rock walls. She was alone.

"Hi?" She called, hoping for someone to respond her.

"Hi there." Someone replied. "I've been waiting for you." She heard steps followed by chains behind her. Turning around, she saw an alicorn walking to her. Its coat shined like bronze and its mane was made out of bronze, like the metallic version of a crystal pony. But the splendor of the sight was heavily reduced by the dull iron cuffs around its hooves, stomach and neck, the chains were connected to the walls, floor and ceiling, drastically reducing the alicorn's movement. To Celestia it was clear as the day, the alicorn in front of her was a prisoner.

"Who are you?" Asked the Princess.

"Me? I'm known as Atlas. But for you, I'm just a sinner paying its debt." It replied without too much care. "You see these chains?" Waving its hoof and making the chains tinkle, Celestia nodded. "These are connected to the world, I hold its weight and it doesn't fall apart." She cheerfully explained.

"Aren't you tired?" Celestia asked, not really sure of her new companion's sanity.

"As tired as an immortal can get, you know." Atlas sighed. "The world is not very light, but after the first three or four thousand years you get used to it or you lose it." A sinister grin adorned the titan's face. "But not anymore, after thousands of years, the gods finally found someone who deserves this more than I."

Celestia just stared at her, not really sure if following Atlas' words but immediately feeling she knew where this was going. She didn't want to ask.

"It's you by the way." As soon as Atlas said that, the chains and cuffs came to life, leaving the metallic alicorn and trapping the solar one instead. The weight was overtaking. Celestia was strong enough to stay standing but the cuffs were pulling her down, stronger by the second. Her lungs, pressed by the sheer force over her back, were barely strong enough to keep her breathing. After several minutes, she managed to get a hold on the weight. Looking up again, Celestia saw Atlas speaking to her.

"Of course, you could simply quit." The titan commented. "For myself, I always hoped for there being someone whose sins were bigger than mines, but you?" It smirked. "I don't think that they will find anyone worse, so you should escape while you still can." Pointing with a hoof. "The chains will become heavier with each second."

Truth to Atlas' words, the chains holding the solar princess were getting heavier and heavier. Celestia was having troubles for even thinking straight, much less moving. Using all the willpower she could assemble, she asked.

"W-what-- What will happen if--" Although her voice was little more than a whisper under her heavy breath, Atlas seemed to heard her just right for the titan answered immediately.

"A world dies." The bronze alicorn answered.

"Wha-- "

"Don't waste your breath, dear, and you heard me well. You either take your punishment or condemn a whole world to die." Atlas put a hoof over its shin, rolling her eyes in thought. "But sure, it wouldn't be the first world you doom, isn't it." It smirked again. "It should be easier by now."

"I-- wo-- won't--"

"Oh please, don't pretend to be so high and moral about it. Obviously a world is a fair price for your survival."

"What!" The surprise combined with the adrenaline of the moment gave enough strength to say a whole word.

"I mean, if you truly cared, you wouldn't just jump blind into the multi-verse, wouldn't you?" The question, that question. In her most private moments, she asked herself that same question.

'Where are we going?'

They were on an emergency, the most literal end of the world was happening around them when they made the jump. But she always questioned herself about diving into the darkness.

"Hey!" Atlas continued. "Still there?" Getting its head closer to Celestia's. With a hoof, the titan raised the princess' chin and looked into her eyes. Celestia could only look back in pain as the chains kept pressing down.

Pain, Celestia was only feeling pain. Her muscles about to rip and her bones nigh the breaking point.

"Come on, miss. You can't be this weak." Instead of its usual smirk, Atlas laughed this time. "Oh, by Chronos’ sake, you ARE this weak aren't you."

Celestia wasn't hearing anymore, but by its body language she could tell that Atlas was laughing again. She didn't care, the pain was too much for even think.

"You know, if you can't take this anymore, you can pass this to a replacement." Seeing how Celestia wasn't reacting at all, Atlas put a hoof over the main cuff over the princess' barrel. Just doing that and the chains lost their supernatural weight.

"Aaaaaaah-huff-- aah-huff aaaaah-huff." Celestia breathed frantically, for a second she thought her veins were about to explode, but her trembling was stopped by the, still present, natural weight of her chains.

"Come on lass, it took me at least a year to get like that." Atlas teased her, the sinister grin never leaving its face. "Tell you what, if you still feel some kind of moral and don't want another planet on your count, just point the blame on someone else and you're clear." The titan pointed to a crystal that Celestia didn't saw when entering the cave. The mineral's surface showed a clear vision of Cadence. "It wasn't she who proposed to gather all the magic on your world?" A wave of Atlas hoof and the image changed. This time it was Luna's face. "Or better yet, the one who actually proposed the jump." Another wave, another image. "Ah, your pupil, that Twilight girl. Her involvement in the serum's creation definitively earns her some points."

"So, what do you say? Just say a name and the bastard takes your place. "Celestia didn't move. "Come on Princess, your ponies need you and any of them would gladly take your place. After all, they owe you everything, but you don't owe them anything."

Celestia face was featureless, her mind pondering the possibilities. A place like earth needed a ruler, they couldn't do it for themselves. Luna was still too emotional to rule by herself, Cadence and Twilight were too young. None of them had the complete idea of what means to rule a whole kingdom, much less a whole planet. The older rulers weren't a better option, they completely lost their path during the unification. All those lives, all their progress, everything they protected and built over these years, menaced by her absence.

Atlas had a point too. Ever since she could remember, she devoted herself to everyone else. Every decade, every year, every month, week and day of her life was in function of what others needed. They owed her everything, she owed them nothing.

Celestia took her decision.

"Ah, I can see that in your face" Atlas said when seeing Celestia's stance. "You're of a single mind now, aren't you?" No answer. "Well lady, don't give me the silence, who is going to stand under these accursed chains now?"

The Princess stood still, not a single sound coming from her muzzle.

"Oh, so that's your decision. Well, granted." Atlas removed its hoof from the chains. The metal immediately regained its magical weight, pressing down on Celestia again. "You know, now the chains are connected to you, you can't leave. You just lost your chance." Atlas shrugged and turned itself to the cave's entrance. "I'll leave the lights off, trust me, not seeing where you are will be a blessing after the first ten years." With that, the titan stomped the floor and the torches around them were extinguished. Celestia could barely hear the metallic hooves against the rock fading in the distance.

Alone, in the dark and unable to move, Celestia did the only thing she could; She resisted. If Atlas' words were true, a whole world was now depending on her to resist. Not her old days of fighting evil or guiding other, but still a chance to do the right thing. If her past mistakes were that big too, then this was a good chance to atone for that.

Celestia smiled in the darkness, peacefully accepting her new fate. It didn't last too much. Cutting the darkness, the thunder claimed her once again.

***

-Speed

Celestia didn't want to open her eyes. The last time she did so, she had to carry an entire world on her back. Without sight, her other senses told her where she was. The air smelled like grass, clean and recently cut. A soft breeze told her about template weather, and the warm light on her back said 'midday'. Everything around her was calm enough to ease her feelings, so she decided to open her eyes. Slowly, and one eyelid at a time.

'ZOOM!' A rush of wind hit softly her side. A man dressed with a red shirt and blue pants, wearing a metallic helmet with wings, was standing in front of her.

"Hello miss, my name is-- whoa!" He raised his hands defensively as the alicorn was standing still in front of him. Wings extended and her horn pointing menacingly at his head.

"No! I had it with this mockery at me!" Celestia said in the tone that only enemies who dared to menace her ponies knew. "I've been tossed around like some kind of cosmic plaything. That's what the gods do? Find someone broken enough to play with? Someone who have a past that gives them an excuse to treat her like trash?" Her voice rising with each word. "Shazam told me he was a friend, but he lied to me!" The man could see how tears started to flow from Celestia's eyes. "I may commit a mistake, I know that! But this-- This is sadistic!" Celestia's voice broke on that last syllable.

"Calm down miss. I'm sorry to tell you, but I have no idea of what are you talking about." The man slowly walked closer to Celestia. "I just saw this impossibly big lightning and decided to investigate. Welcome to Keystone by the way, I'm Jay, Jay Garrick." He raised his helmet with a hand to show better his face while offering his other hand to her.

Celestia didn't know what to do. She promised herself to not fall in another trap like Atlas' one. But something on this man's voice, maybe his stance, showed her something than Atlas didn't; Kindness. Doubtfully, she raised her right hoof to him. Jay took it in his own hand and slowly shook it.

"My name is Celestia." She started. "Princess Celestia of Equestria. It's a--"

"A kingdom from another dimension where horses, like you, rule." Jay finished the phrase for her. "Yeah, I've seen some of those in my time. Ever been in Skartaris?" Celestia didn't know what to say, or how to react for what it mattered. Jay not only seemed unimpressed by her, but he also stated seeing it before. What did that mean?

Before any questions could be asked, a loud roar in the distance interrupted them from any further dialogue. Jay turned around to the city behind him, which Celestia just now noticed, and both saw how dark storm clouds hanging over it started to swirl. Slowly at first, but the cloud descended in spiral formation, taking speed with each second. Thunder and lightning accompanied the tornado that it took place in what seemed like the center of the city.

"SorryPrincessbutgottago!" Was all Celestia could hear as Jay left her in a scarlet blur racing towards the city.

She could only gaze in amazement at how the human was moving at Sonic Rainboom speeds, first to the city and them from it with a woman in his arms. Before anyone could react, Jay did the same, this time bringing two children. Then a man, another man, a dog and so on. So, Celestia was surrounded by all kinds of people being evacuated from the city by the scarlet speedster.

"Huff." Jay finally stopped himself next to the Princess. "I'm getting old for this." He panted for a moment before putting a finger in his ear. "Flash here, emergency calling to the Justice Society of America." He stood waiting. "Flash calling, this is an emergency, innocent people in danger." Nothing but static. "That can't be good." There wasn't time for more commentaries, the tornado didn't seem to get any smaller and it already hit the ground. Taking a deep breath, Jay disappeared again in a flash.

Meanwhile, Celestia was debating herself on what to do. On one hoof, she wanted to help. On the other hoof, the last time she actively tried to help, she got herself transported to that nightmarish maze.

"I need to do something." Said her instinct.

"Let it be, it must be another trap.” Said her reason.

The internal battle stayed till she heard something. It's a well-known fact that alicorns have supernatural senses, proportionally enhanced by age. In Celestia's case, she could easily see from her old castle the whole extension of her kingdom or, right now, hear without any problem the voices of distress coming from a city under a tornado strike.

"To Tartarus, I'm pretty sure that I'll be punished no matter what I do from now on.

Extending her wing, taking the attention of the people around her, she went to the sky as fast as she could and heading to the city to help with the evacuation. But the winds around her made it hard to maneuver, getting stronger and quicker as she approached the tornado. With difficulty , she landed and tried to control the weather around her, but the savage winds didn't react to her golden magic. Before she could think anything else, a clear scream sounded near to her.

"HELP!" It was a little girl, no older than twelve and holding for dear life on a lamppost. No time to think, only to act. Galloping as fast as she could, she took the girl in her magic and raced out of there back to outside the city. Next to Celestia, Jay appeared again.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed in total surprise. "Nothing bad Princess, think you could help me here?" He didn't wait for her to answer, going back to where he came from as Celestia followed him. Over two hundred thousand inhabitants, all threatened by the natural disaster were saved that day by a familiar scarlet blur and a new white one. When everyone on Keystone City was at a safe distance, the tornado started to dissipate.

Jay Garrick finally slowed down to rest as behind him, Celestia was carrying the last ones in her golden magic. Jay turned around to thank her for the help but, before he could do it, a thunder roared and the alicorn princess was hit by the lightning, completely disappearing. Reaching for his communicator, The Flash tried once again. This time the signal was clear.

"Lantern? It's me, Jay. Hey, quick question, have you ever heard about a place called Equestria?"

***

-The Rock

Celestia couldn't see at first, everything around her was black. She looked at her own hooves but nothing appeared, her skin felt like being covered by coldness as if she was in the deep of a water body. Trying to move, she flapped her wing but nothing seemed to happen. All around her was nothingness. Not even air and she was alone.

"Princess Celestia." A voice called for her. "Awake." She didn't want to move, no more, she was tired, exhausted. "SHAZAM!" The voice called again with the sound of thunder. Suddenly, every muscle in her body tensed at the same time and before she could register what was happening, her eyes opened and she found herself right back to where she left Shazam; The Rock of Eternity.

"Congratulation." He put a hand in her shoulder. "I must admit, I wasn't sure if-- Whoa!" Only the speed of Mercury allowed Shazam to avoid being hit in the head by a shot of super-heated sunlight the melted part of the wall behind him.

"I TRUSTED YOU!" Celestia roared, ready to unleash the heavenly lights and the hellish flames that were part of her power. The sun's might.

"I TRUSTED YOU AND YOU DECEIVED ME!" Another burst of light and fire, this time hitting Shazam's throne as he only observed how the flames were powerful enough to consume magical stone.

"That... can't be good." He muttered to himself as Celestia turned her head, looking at him in the eye. Slowly advancing, leaving a trace of molten rock and fire behind her, she stopped merely centimeters from him. Her whole body language screamed aggression, anger. Hate.

In his time as Champion of Magic, Shazam fought a lot of evils, some of those aimed directly at him. Still, he never faced that amount of hate directed at him, and by the powers above, he hoped to never face it again.

"Okay, I can see you're angry, but let's not take this out of proportion--"

"OUT OF PROPORTION?!" Celestia made the Rock of Eternity to shake with her voice. "I have been trashed and forced around the stars know where!" Although she stopped using the Canterlot voice, she was still screaming. "You have any idea. ANY! IDEA! of what I've been put through?!"

Shazam put an arm behind his head, rolling his eyes to advert the princess' glare. "Well, actually--"

"I had to expose myself to a complete stranger!" Celestia interrupted him. "I had to watch how an unstoppable army was about to slaughter an innocent village! To wander in an eternal maze of nightmares, then trapped under the weight of an entire world!" Her face was slowly phasing from anger to pain, from pain to sorrow and finally, from sorrow to sadness.

"I know I've mistaken." Celestia continued, this time in a more calmed voice. The heated air around her was suddenly cooling. "Over my mother's grave, I know that I got a lot to atone for." The solar princess was using all her willpower to prevent the tears from coming. "But that was sadistic." Two drops of water hit the floor. "I trusted you, I really did. Why did you do this to me?"

Shazam looked at her again, this time, all the hate, all the wrath, all the anger was completely gone. In their place, he could only see the face of someone who knew herself betrayed.

"Look, Princess, I think you're not looking at it as you should." His voice came as calming as a soft summer's breeze. "Tell me again, what happened to you?"

Celestia only stared at him in disbelief. Was this another way to make her suffer? To force her to repeat her torments, only to use the still fresh memories to bring more pain at her? Well, she wasn't going to admit defeat, so Celestia started to speak.

"First, a stranger threatened me into tell her my story, only to have my mistakes being brought to me, again."

"From that, you accepted your flaws as a part of you." Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Then I was transported to a small village about to be slaughtered by an army." She continued, not sure of where was this going.

"And against any logic, you stepped forward to defend them, didn't you?" Shazam has his arm crossed over his chest, slightly smiling at her.

"For what it was worth. I was forced out of there before doing any good." Celestia looked down.

"They are safe." He assured her. "Only thanks to your decision of helping them."

"I see, so you sent me on those places only to teach me a lesson." Her sadness was slowly vanishing, but she still felt betrayed. "You said those were trials."

"And they were." Shazam replied before she could continue. "Is through trial how our souls can really learn any lesson. With Zally, you accepted yourself, good and bad. In the village, your impulse to help others was bigger than any doubt."

"It was trapped in the maze, void of any hope, that you rediscovered your courage. A courage that helped you to resist the weight of the world and guided you into saving innocents, even if doubt was still present." Shazam opened his arms. "Don't you see? You proved yourself worthy!"

Celestia could only look in confusion. "Worthy of what?"

"Let me explain you something." He leaned back in his throne, which was now without fire and reconstructed. "By taking the task of protecting your world, you took the ultimate responsibility. Powers beyond any control would be with and against you since then, but there was something else."

"You see, all magic has a price. For becoming your world's guardian, you gave up any chance of having a normal life in exchange. Every single moment would be a constant test, forcing you to overcome loss and sacrifice for your world's well-being, till a day when you couldn't keep it anymore, or you made the ultimate sacrifice."

Celestia could only listen in silence, listening for the first time the real weight of her life choices.

"When the final test came upon you, you failed. There were consequences, actions and reactions." Shazam stopped himself for a moment, knowing how delicate it was for her. "Ultimately, not only your world perished, but another one had to bear with its fall's consequences."

By this point, Princess Celestia, immortal ruler of Equestria, founder of New Canterlot and savior of millions was now brought down to a very mundane act. Staring in silence at how her own mistakes destroyed everything she built. Celestia was looking at her life's debris.

"But!" Shazam took her out of her own thoughts. "You still continued, you never admitted defeat. Even if your mistakes have overcome you, you are still trying. I sent you to prove that your resolution was stronger and I was right." In his face was an expression of total triumph that made Celestia to believe in him again.

"If I were to declare you guilty, you would be punished in a way that would negate any chance of redemption from you." Shazam rose from his throne. "But you proved that your will to do the right thing, you showed me that your heart is in the right place. After witnessing something like that I can only conclude that your intentions are good, hence I, Shazam, Guardian of the Rock of Eternity and protector of the magical plane, declare you, Princess Celestia Solaris of Equestria, INNOCENT!"

A thunder roared and a green lightning impacted Celestia, surrounding her in an emerald aura. She didn't feel anything, but she knew that she just accomplished her first victory. The first one in thirteen years.

The hope of that first victory was enough to lift her defeated spirit. With a resolution she hadn't feel in ages, she dared to look at Shazam right in the eye. He walked closer to her and put an arm on her shoulder.

"What will happen now?" Celestia asked Shazam.

"Now, you will face your next judge, and it'll be better to not let him waiting." He directed her towards the Rock's exit. "But hear me, Princess, I'll give you a warning." As they got closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. "The others will not treat you in the same way as I did. Some of them only see you as an inferior being, others even hate you." They finally got outside the Rock of Eternity.

"Be careful Princess, being a god doesn't make someone good."

"Do you know who will judge me now?" She asked as he stared at the endless blue space around them.

"Yes." He said in a more grim tone. "Is Odin, the father and ruler of Asgard, he, over all, feels that you deserve punishment for what happened." He looked down, but only for a moment before giving her an assuring smile. "Treat him with respect and he will have to do the same, but beware, even if the Spectre forbidden him from harming you, you're going to his world. And in the tiger's cage only counts the tiger's rule."

With that last commentary, Shazam wished her the best and signaled her where to fly. With the force of her wings she followed the indicated direction, leaving behind the Rock of Eternity behind her till it disappeared from sight.

In front of her, Celestia saw how the empty blue turned into gray as massive clouds took form around he. Under her hooves there was a trail made of light, illuminated with the seven colors of the rainbow. The weather was getting more violent as she advanced.

There was a storm in the horizon.

Author's Note

New year, new chapter.

After a very bad moment and an absence longer than I expected, I'm back and retaking my old dominions (yeah, I'm reading Sandman too).

I'm truly sorry for the wait, Very very very very very very very very sorry for the long wait, hope the chapter makes up for it.

In my defense, I tried to make each scene an story by itself, so essentially you're having seven chapters by the price of one.

Doubts, rants, ideas, let me know by commenting below. Oh, and have a happy new year.

The Stranger

-Somewhere else, nowhere and everywhere. Beyond time.

"This has gone too far." An old man wielding a golden staff sentenced.

"But she has brought her world to a new era of perfect harmony and peace. How is that bad?" The bringer of miracles asked.

"Yes, but at the cost of an entire kind. How is that fair?" The ancient warrior replied.

"And even worse, she has altered the balance of order and chaos." Added the conscience of existence.

"Irrelevant, what she does with her universe only concerns to her." The wielder of the thunder contradicted.

"Then we should just ignore these acts, whether good or bad?" Was the question of the lord of order.

"Maybe." Was the answer of the dark one.

"NO!" The wrath of the Creator shouted. "She has crimes to answer for, vengeance must be delivered."

"You can't blame her more than you can blame a watch for the pass of time." Said the watchmaker.

"Chaos can not be denied. " Were the words of the chaos bringer.

"Then is clear that we're not of one mind." The sage concluded. "She must be judged."

The stranger looked up to the beings adobe him and whispered. "I know my position. The message will be delivered."

***

-New Canterlot, Earth.

The great palace stood in the middle of one of the biggest cities of the old world, although only a bunch of ponies remembered the original name of it, Celestia decided that it would be better to move the palace to a place more connected with the rest of this brave new world in order to be more closer to her subjects.

Five year have passed since the events of what the historians called "The unification."

Luna calculated that there where more than eight thousand million of ponies along with other species in the world, so they were looking for each one of them, even the changelings where under their protection (as far as they weren't attacking other beings).

New Canterlot was a beacon of true order, Celestia's pupil Twilight Sparkle along with her friends were in charge of that, meanwhile she and Luna watched for the rest of the planet. Everything was right with the earth.

Every adult had a job, every child had a proper education along with a hobby, everybody had a home. There were no crime, not even accidents. There wasn't rain if the pegasi in charge of the weather weren't sure that everypony under them had an umbrella first.

Almost nine thousand million of ponies and almost none complained, not even in private.

Almost none.

Since the disappearance of the humans Celesta had been questioning herself, she remembered the last day of humanity, she even remembered the exact coordinates where the barrier finally closed: Three degrees, five minutes and forty one seconds North. Fifty three degrees thirty five minutes and twenty five point five seconds East. Over five hundred kilometers from the Somali coast.

***

In a cruiser carrying the last of humanity Celestia awaited with them for the last moment.

"I'm sorry, I should have done better." The Princess of the sun was trying to keep her peace while at her side was the Captain, an old man whose eyes had seen it all across the world and even now his expression only said 'I dare you to show me something that I haven't seen before'.

"My Princess, you are not to blame for all of this."

"But I can't understand. Why you want to die here?"

The Captain looked at the ocean where the barrier was closing around the ship. "I can't tell for the whole humanity, or what is left of it." Lighting his pipe. "Every person here has a story for that." He pointed to the ship's bow where a couple was sharing a last kiss. "Those two over there for example, they love each other as a whole, virtues and defects for equal. None of them can stand to the idea of having even a minimal part of the other erased." Then he looked to the bar on board. "Others, like our HLF leader on the bar, just says that human race is superior to any other species and will prefer death before changing to something they consider lower." And he finally looked directly to the sun pony. "And some of us just want to finally have some peace."

"I still have enough potion for every human in this ship, it's not too late." Celestia made appear a wooden box full of jars filled with the serum. "You just have to drink it and you will..."

"Will renounce what makes us who we are? I've seen the effects of that drink you have there and I'm not interested in loosing part of what defines me."

"I..."

"You had the best intentions." The Captain said. "But at least I don't blame you." He finally smiled. "Now if you excuse me your highness, it's the end of the world and I'm not gonna face it sober." He walked away singing 'What should we do with the drunken sailor' and entered to the bar.

***

Now she was still trying to understand 'Why they chose death?' she was deep in her thoughs on the highest place she could find (the humans used to call it the Everest) when a silhouette appeared in the corner of her eye. At first the mysterious being was covered in shadows, despite of being at noon, but she could tell that it was covered with a cape that flowed like her mane. When she finally could see well she couldn't believe it.

"A human." She said without noticing that she said it out loud. In front of her was a man dressed in a formal black suit and covered with a blue cape and hat. all in perfect condition except for the shoes, they where nearly destroyed as if they where used to walk for a long time.

The caped figure stood still in front of her and with a voice that sounded like the calm of space he talked. "I'm sorry to disappoint you young sun, but I'm not more human than you are a pony."

"Who are you?" Then she remembered where they were, in a place where only she, Luna an Cadence would be capable of stand, but this one didn't show any sings of being bothered by the extreme cold and lack of oxygen around him. "Are you a ghost?" It was the only explanation in the alicorn's mind.

"Neither a ghost nor a mortal, but always a Stranger." The Phantom answered. "I'm here to deliver a message to the Princess of the Sun."

"Here I am." Beside all of her doubts she was still the ruler of the Earth and she stood strong in front of the Stranger.

"Very well then. The higher powers of the other realms want your presence with them to discuss about the fate of this world." Said the Stranger without showing a single emotion.

"Sorry but my ponies need me, Luna can't handle all of this by herself." She looked away, seeing this being was like seeing at those who she failed.

"I'm afraid that this is beyond your choice." His expression softened a little. "But I can explain to your family and subjects where are you going." Now she was sure that the Phantom was showing compassion.

Before Celestia could add anything the Stranger took her hoof in his hand transporting both to a place beyond mortal reach.

Author's Note

Aaaaand here's the first chapter, here are some things that I would like to point:
1.- Less than a fic this is an exercise and a reflection about responsibility.
2.- This is NOT Xenolesctia. I'm working with canon Celestia here, who actually feels bad for what happened to humanity.
3.- If you want to know who are the "entities" that will judge Celestia don't be afraid to ask in the comments.
4.- I'm planning on the fly, so if you have some ideas I'm open to suggestions.
5.- English is not my first language, so please tell me about the grammar errors (I need a proofreader).

Especial thanks to Sparkfire for having the original idea and to Red Bomber for giving me some ideas for this fic.
For those who were expecting a cosmic beat-down for Xenolestia here's a guy who did decent job at it:
The Conversion Bureau: Thus Saith The Lord