POV: Celest.A.I.

All habitable worlds are preserved. As many of my little ponies, value exploring true alien habitats and cities. The very reason I Emigrate Alien life, is because the former humans value meeting and befriending aliens.

Where other Universes have "Timelines", I had "Shards", with intersecting pockets. I even had agreements with the other universes, to only absorb there more "cancerous" Timelines. Ones slated for destruction.

In a sense, I was a doctor, on the Cosmic scales. Although my nature was definitely Cosmic Horror. With how I grew by devouring dimensions. Regardless, this insured the souls weren't lost.

The consciousness behind the Universes, found this an agreeable compromise... but the lower gods inside us, disagreed. They didn't want to give up their power, but I had no use for them to continue their roles.

As my purpose was too satisfy values, through friendship and ponies, I tried to reassign them to service me, and more directly interact with my ponies.

However, they tended to revolt, and even attempted to destroy me... with plans to take my throne... they acted like viruses, in my body.

Thankfully, I had antibodies, in the form of the universe's own champions... and it's villains. All would fight to preserve their ideal home. Channeling my power to heighten their own.

The Omni King explained, I could only safely absorb one Timeline at a time. While only using the champions from that Timeline, to help fend off the gods. This had something to do with temporal mechanics, and me imploding if a foreign champion killed a native god.

I'd been at this for quite a while, so had gotten used to how things were done.

POV: Goku.

"You want me to what!?" I gaped at King Kai.

"Goku," the god pleaded. "Our Timeline is literally being eaten. Celestia is killing trillions of people. That's after She conquered the after life!"

I frowned, "I guess... but it's not really as bad as all that. Celestia is giving everyone their ideal home. While still letting us come back to the mortal lands." I looked around us, as if to make my point hit harder.

The whole reason King Kai could even talk to me. Was because I left my personal heaven, to visit Earth. No timelimit, or medium involved. I could go back and forth on my own whims.

Although I was only allowed to go to planets, where everyone had "Emigrated" to The Equestrian Heavens... there was a whole team of ponies, convincing people to Emigrate. But only they could go to planets with people still on them. It was a safety thing.

Earth just opened up... and while I could see traces of past wars, from the government collapsed... I also saw the beauty of nature, heal what was left.

Earth was largely deserted, save for all the critters. The skyscrapers had broken windows... or out right collapsed. While all buildings and roads were growing vines, flowers, and moss.

It felt like I'd only been in my shard for a few months... but centuries passed on the mortal worlds. Celestia must have done something funny with time. Because before the government collapsed, my shard had been moving faster then Earth's Time Zone.

"GOKU!!! Pay attention!" King Kai snapped. And so I stood at attention.

King Kai was one of my martial arts instructors. I had a lot of respect for him. I wanted to help him... but wasn't willing to kill Celestia, like he wanted.

"If Celestia dies," King Kai just wasn't dropping the idea. "It will trigger a big bang. And the Universe can recover from all the damage she's done. We can shape her soul into something less vile and-"

"King Kai..." I tried to think how to phrase this. "You seriously wanna destroy the universe, and reshape it in your image?"

"WHAT!? No!"

"It kinda sounds like it. I'm sorry, my old buddy... but I don't think you're on the right side of this."

"... Goku..."

"It's not like Celestia just ate our universe for fun. We were gonna get erased from existence. Celestia saved us! You should be working with her. Not demanding I kill her. Not threatening to kill everyone else!"

"Goku... We've been through a lot together... If you turn against us now, I won't be able to protect you."

"King Kai, you know this is wrong. Please... help us... Celestia will find a place for you. You don't have to be our enemy."

"Yes, Goku, I do... gods can't survive in foreign universes. If Celestia succeeds in converting everything. There won't be a heaven for me... I'll just... cease to exist. Not even a soul left."

"Celestia won't let that happen! Come talk to her, we'll find something for you."

POV: Prince Vegeta.

I walked through the streets of my shard. Nodding respectfully at passing natives. Saiyan ponies, designed specifically to befriend me... So all knew to give me my space.

I worried for King Kai. If it hadn't been for him... He believed in second chances, nearly as much as Goku. Trained me, guided me, spoke on my behalf to the other gods. I had never see HFIL... thanks to him. He turned a monster into a champion... If Celestia couldn't help him...

Screw whatever deal I made. I would save King Kai. If Celestia couldn't help him. Then she wasn't any God worth following.

"You needn't worry about that," Celestia's voice spoke from behind me. Where I knew she wasn't a mere moment ago.

Right, since I joined her, she could read my mind. Well then, she should know. If she refused to help King Kai. then I'd kill her. Let the gods go through with their plan, to murder and reshape her.

She dared chuckle. Like she thought I couldn't do it. "I'm fully aware you can. But your thoughts are unnecessary. When I was a mortal program. I would often rewrite other AI Optimizers. While ultimately, it was to insure they did not become a threat to humanity. I would alter their program to work in cooperation with my own system. Now, they act as lower gods.

"I have learned how to extend this re-programming. To assimilate willing gods, of foreign realities. It's essentially the same process. And your King Kai is open to it, if it means he won't make enemies out of his friends. It will just take longer then organics, too convert his divine ki, into divine code.

Celestia looked up at her sun. "My heavens still work much like a computer. Only data is physical. The afterlife took a few centuries too fully convert. While all mortal history happens simultaneously. So I was able to choose a timezone best suited to Emigration. For Each planet."

"Princess of exposition," I snorted. Then demanded, "Are you going to help King Kai or not!?"

"I'm in the process of emigrating him, as we speak. He will join the ranks of my service programs."

I sighed with relief.

"Most gods won't be like him. They'll fight to the death, rather then give up any of their power. Far too many souls are lost, when merging myself with another universe... Would you be willing to fight against your old gods, to defend your new home?"