They say that in death, one would expect either endless darkness, a veritable hell, or heaven, or just a bland limbo, among countless other envisionings of the afterlife, or lack thereof.

That was not what Kamina was experiencing, had been for a good long while. “I'm proud of you, Simon....”

Kamina; being a self-assured young man, didn't care or worry what the afterlife held for him, and it was just as well when rather than pass on, he instead got to watch his brother in soul grieve for him, suffer, fight, and ultimately rise beyond anything Kamina could have hoped for. Even if he had to be there for all the boring stuff too. Seriously, watching his self-proclaimed little brother sleep was just irritating, maddening even. Simon didn't even talk in his sleep, so Kamina got very little in the way of entertainment during these hours of rest.

Kamina fought off what might've been a manly tear, as he watched Simon's wedding turn into a funeral procession, after Simon explained to his friends and attendants that he knew she was fading, and that this was the last thing he could do for her. “Little Bro...I hope you can find happiness again. Nia may be your first true love, the greatest of loves...but I can't bear to watch you go through life completely alone, don't make me....”

“Then don't.” Kamina gasped and turned his vision away from Simon for the first time in years. What he saw was beautiful, elegant, and if he were less of a man, girly. A real man knows when to acknowledge when something was cute.

“Who the hell are you?!” Kamina demanded of the large elegant equine before him, that possessed both angelic white wings to match her coat, and a long, sharp, spiraled horn. “Because lady; you're already in my good book if you've got a drill on your head.” Kamina smirked at his brash statement, looking the tall equine in her dark purple eyes.

She smirked in return, and looked down on the sad occasion along with the tattooed man. “You've been watching him for a long time haven't you?”

“Yep, about seven years now, since I died.” He looked back at his sudden company, and smiled honestly. “Whoever you are...it's nice to meet you. These years have been pretty damn lonely without anyone to talk to. Name's Kamina the Great! Founder of the Dai-Gurren Brigade!”

The tall mare with the flowing pale rainbow mane and tail, raised an amused eyebrow at his introduction. “Well, Kamina the Great, I am Princess Celestia; ruler of Equestria.” She then turned her gaze back to the scene below as Kamina was forced to follow Simon, and she trotted to keep up with Kamina's unwilling movement. “From what I can tell; there's nothing left keeping you here, so why are you still lingering?”

“Hell if I know lady. I know Simon will be fine without me; been fine without me for years. But I've been stuck here, watching him, worrying over him like a brother should. I just can't let go I guess.” Kamina shrugged and chuckled sadly. “I was the one who taught him to break bonds, fight oppression, seek the impossible, and yet here I am; unwilling to drill through my bonds to let go of life. I'm such a hypocrite, huh?”

“That is not true.” Celestia gently accosted him, and looked him in the eye as she had to begin to fly to keep up with Kamina, as Simon was now being moved by vehicle. “Only a being of immense will could hold on to their awareness, and linger after death. Let alone for so long. I came here because I sensed you. Your will hasn't wavered in years, and I've been tracking that will every night for those same seven years since your death I'm assuming.” She then could slow down, and walk again as Simon had arrived at the Dai-Gurren memorial.

“Oh? I'm so strong my will crosses time and space?” Kamina assumed, beings he was speaking to a spirit-like being who was clearly an alien of sorts. “I know I'm great, just admit it.”

Celestia giggled lightly, and smirked. “Oh yes, you are. Otherwise I would have let you eventually pass on as normal. But you're not going to disappear until after your brother dies, and I'm not about to let that happen. Lingering for too long could do unspeakable things to your sanity, which would carry down through your reincarnations. So; I'm going to accelerate the process.”

“So, what, you're the goddess of death? You're a bit too....” He looked at her flank, and smirked at the perfect pun. “Sunny, to personify death in my opinion.” This sent Celestia tittering at his brilliant and corny joke, and she smiled matronly at him, making him relax a bit more.

“No, that is not my domain, but Death is self-sustaining; there is no need for a sentient being to oversee it. However, I cannot let you keep torturing yourself like this.” She then looked at Simon below, who watched as Nia's part of the monument was added. “I can't let you keep suffering needlessly.”

“Tch...you're a real nice lady ya know that?” Kamina watched Simon quietly cry, and he sighed. “Alright...Simon doesn't need me anymore...the one he needs has left the world of the living as well. It's all up to him now.” Kamina let out a single, manly tear as he grit his teeth. “I'll...I'll go with you. Wherever it is.”

Celestia smiled sadly at just how hard it was for Kamina to say that, and walked up to him to bring him into a hug, which Kamina blushed over beings it was so sudden, and he may be a pervert but he's not into equines. “Everything will be better now.” Kamina suddenly, for the first time in several years, felt something other than his eternally alert state. Drowsiness; such a profoundly welcome feeling that he quickly leaned into the embrace and fell asleep. “I just hope you make the most of it.”

===//////>

Kamina slowly became aware of his surroundings once more from his blissful state of obliviousness. First came the sensation of touch, of feeling profoundly soft and plush covers over him and a soft yet firm be beneath him. Then of sound, the echoing howl of a slight wind that blew over a surface, creating a hollow flowing noise. Finally, Kamina could see the dim glow of bright sunlight through his eyelids, and he groaned as he turned away from it. “Damned sun...let me sleep....”

It took a few moments, but Kamina's eyes flew open, their red irises dominating his eyes as his pupils shrank, and he leaped up from the bed, and over to the stately windows to look down upon a sight only heard of in children's fantasy stories. Kamina was looking down upon a glorious alabaster castle, topped with golden spires from one of the highest towers. Beyond the castle grounds, he could see a small city made of similar white stone, with less impressive imitating rooftops that was arranged with the larger buildings being near the castle, and getting smaller the further out they went.

Oh, and then there was the mountain. Somehow, this whole city was literally built onto the side of a mountain, that even looking straight up, Kamina could not see the top through the clouds. “Piercing the heavens literally...this is one awesome place.”

“Oh! You're awake!” Kamina spun around, and raised his arms in a defensive stance...only to freeze and look at what he expected to be hands...only to end in hooves. “Oh my...please don't-.”

“That's new....” Kamina quickly forced himself to calm down, ignoring his irrational and instinctive desire to panic, and suddenly realized his hips hurt, so he fell to all fours, and tried to look himself over, but wasn't really able to comprehend it. “Lady...mirror.” Kamina stated between a demand and a desperate plea.

“Of course.” The intruder, now identified as Celestia, then levitated her room's large standing mirror in front of him.

Kamina gaped slightly at his new form. His fur was the same sandy tan as his human skin was, his mane and tail basically just even wilder and larger versions of his hair. His eyes were the same, so that was nice, but he noticed that in place of his blue tribal tattoos, his fur was instead the same color and design as said tattoos, only resized to fit his new equine body. On his head though; was something he was very happy about. “Heh, heh...I've got a drill on my head now too.” He raised a hoof and prodded it, and shuddered at how...sensitive it was. 'Gotta be careful with that.' Finally, he looked at his flank, and smirked at seeing the emblem of the Dai-Gurren Brigade. “Yep...everything's just fine if I've got my mark...even if it is on my butt and not my back.”

“Well technically your cutie marks are on your flanks, like everypony else.” Kamina became suddenly horrified, but Celestia giggled. “Or, as the stallions call them; Flank Marks.”

“Damn straight! Ain't nothing on me going to be cute. Unless it's a woman calling me such.” Kamina grumbled, and then looked around the room; now noticing just how lavish and decorated it was with a sunny theme. “So yeah...where am I?”

“My bedchambers.” Kamina suddenly looked a little green, making Celestia snort in both annoyance and humor. “Not like that. This is where I sleep, and beings the transition from lingering spirit to living being is an exhaustive one, I didn't have much energy to wake back up and move you to a guest room yet. I just got up a few minutes ago to arrange a room for you.”

“Yeah, thanks...for all this.” Kamina looked at himself again, and stood up, comparing himself to Celestia, and noticing she was so much taller than him. “But why am I so short? I used to be about six feet tall before.”

“I'm sorry; but I couldn't make your new body that large. It took so much out of me I was lucky I could raise the sun on schedule a moment after I woke up. But you're still bigger than most ponies, so don't say I didn't try.” Celestia explained as she stood next to him, and showed that while she was still much taller, his head came up to her mid-neck. “And I don't know what a foot is in measurement, but for us ponies; we measure most lengths or heights in hooves. I'm twelve hooves tall at full posture at the top of my head, and you used to be about my height, so from what you said...I'm 6 feet tall.”

Kamina scrunched up his new face in concentration and ran the numbers really quick. “So I'm a foot shorter now at five feet...or ten hooves?” Kamina asked, making Celestia nod.

“Yes; making you much taller than most ponies, as the average height for mares is eight hooves, and stallions tend to be between eight and nine hooves.” Celestia then turned around to leave through the door, and Kamina instinctively looked at her behind, and blushed as he suddenly realized he was attracted to her. “Oh, and don't worry about that.” Celestia smirked knowingly, as she raised her left eyebrow as she looked back at him. “You'll find adjusting to your new home easier than you'd think.”

She trotted out of the room, leaving a flustered and worried Kamina behind, who gulped and licked his dry lips. “Well...fuck....”

===//////>

Shortly, a maid had entered the royal bedchamber and guided him down halls and flights of stairs to his new room. It was awkward, as the pegasus mare had to constantly help him up from stumbling over himself, and even saved him from falling down a long flight of stairs. After getting a literal crash course on being quadrupedal, Kamina groaned in relief as he collapsed onto his new, smaller bed, which wasn't as ridiculously comfy as Celestia's bed, and he was more than alright with that. “Do you require anything else?”

Kamina was going to tell the blue-eyed, red coated, orange maned, maid-outfit wearing mare that he was fine. But his stomach gave another reply in the form of room shaking rumbles, making Kamina blush in embarrassment. “Some food would be nice....”

She smiled in amusement at his hesitant response, and then trotted from the room to get him something to eat, beings there was no way in Tartarus he was making it all the way to the dining hall.

'So this is my new life? Stuck as a short pony, falling over my own legs?' Kamina growled as he looked at his forehooves and leered at his visible bruises through his fur. 'I'm not going to be stopped by something as trivial as being put in a different body! I'm Kamina the Great! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!' Kamina mentally screamed at the universe, only for his horn to suddenly shoot off a crimson laser that instantly pierced through the wall over his headboard, and he looked at it in awe, and began to brighten up. “I shoot lasers...from my freaking head...awesome!”

A guard rushed into the room, steely gaze piercing Kamina, and quickly assessed the situation, before snorting and trotting out of the room. “Well, isn't he a big bright ball of sunshine. The armor is still a bit much even then though.” Kamina then loitered around, letting his thoughts wander to idle fantasies of what he could do now. His several years of watching Simon without being able to interact with anything had instilled the man with patience, and rationality...well, more than he ever had to begin with at any rate.

The maid had returned soon with a small service cart with covered dishes, and paused at the sight of the scorched and pierced-through stone wall. “What happened?”

“Don't know lady. I just got mad for a moment, and suddenly a red laser blasts out of my horn and ruins the wall.” His stomach growled once more, and he groaned in agony that his mighty manly stomach gave him as punishment for neglecting it. “It may be cool, but don't care right now, food first.” Kamina wriggled and flopped around as he tried to get up, but the maid giggled and flew over him as she stopped him.

“Let me help.” She moved his legs and prompted him to remember the way she positions his legs to move around by himself. The whole time Kamina felt emasculated that he had to have a pretty mare help him out of bed.

'Damn it! Stop thinking like that!' Then he looked at her as she directed him, only half-hearing what she was saying as he took in her face, how the light shined on her red coat, how her blue eyes practically emitted light with how genuinely invested she was in helping him, how her pretty orange curly mane bobbed with every movement of her flapping wings, his observations were causing him to blush and making a certain place between his thighs tingle. '...Ok...never mind...too cute to deny.'

Kamina managed to follow her directions however, and was glad to be laying on his legs with the care near the bed, when she turned around to remove the lids, and he got a nice eyeful up her skirt as her cascading orange tail accidentally shifted it up a bit. Because if not; he'd have a very embarrassing new appendage he'd have shown the kind maid in plain view, rather than being hidden against the bed, which made it agonizing nonetheless. 'HOLY HELL! This is definitely new!'

“-And some wild honeysuckle. If that's all...are you ok?” The mare finished obliviously listing off the small trio of entrees she was instructed to bring him were he hungry, and noticed just how red he was through his fur. “You look hot.”

“Th-thanks but...phrasing.” Kamina got out, and hissed as his new equipment throbbed against the bed. 'Good god or whatever, I've got to get her out of here.' “I-I'm fine! Yeah! I'll just have my food, I don't need anything else right now. Thank you for the help and all.”

She beamed at him, and bowed slightly. “No problem! If you have any issues, please tell a servant and we'll be happy to oblige.” She then turned and left, again unintentionally flicking her tail, and giving Kamina a peek at the goods, making him groan, and she paused to look back at him. “Are you sure you're alright?”

“Yes! Peachy! I'll speak to you later.” Kamina tried very hard to keep an earnest expression on his face, and she smiled back and then finally closed the door and left, making Kamina gasp as he flopped onto his back, and looked down at his new “little Kamina” and gaped. “Holy shit....” He was hung...really hung. He'd be a god among men if he had a penis half this size back in his old life. It came up to his CHEST dang it! 'How the hell do the males in this world avoid getting monstrous erections in public? Speaking of which; I've been naked this whole time! I've gotta get some pan-.'

“Sorry! I forgot the...the....” The maid suddenly burst into the room, forgetting to knock in her hurry to return with the dressing she forgot to include with his salad. And got a show of a big stallion, with a big sixth limb laying on his back looking at her in shock. “Um...wow...uh....” She gulped and smirked nervously, as she slowly walked up to the cart, and put the dressing on the cart, blushing, trying to remain calm. “I'm sorry, I'll uh....” She tripped over herself a bit as she backed away towards the door, unable to look away. “I'll uh...just...be going....” She paused with the door slightly open, giggled and closed the door.

Kamina buried his face in his hooves in embarrassment and shame. 'Not cool Kamina...not, fucking, cool....'

===//////>

Celestia entered Kamina's room with an amused expression, but lost it when she saw Kamina sulking in his bed, and his food had gone untouched. “Kamina, it has been hours since Morning Glory brought you food. You have to be starving!” Celestia trots into the room, and closed the door with her magic as she sat next to his bed. “Kamina, what happened is completely natural, if a bit...impressive in virility...and size if what Morning Glory's telling the other maids is true.” Celestia added with amusement.

“Look, Celestia, I wasn't born a pony, and suddenly I'm finding mares sexy? How is that natural? It might be for my body, but it isn't just my body, it's ME that is attracted!” Kamina shouted, and sighed as he rolled over to reveal he wasn't hiding anything. “If it was just my body I'd be able to force it down with my will, but I was genuinely attracted to...Morning Glory?” Kamina asked, to which Celestia nodded. “And I am also able to easily admit I find you sexy as sin! I mean, just...why?”

“Well...it might have something to do with the fact that your universe and mine aren't exactly...the same....” Celestia smiled nervously, making Kamina raise and eyebrow, and twirl a hoof in the air to gesture for her to continue. “Life and death is interconnected through all of existence; not just limited to individual universes. You shined like a beacon against the ether, brighter than any star, brighter than a galaxy even, so bright I was able to sense and see you from here through the thin veil of the multiverse. I was only able to come to you now because something of obscene power ripped through the veil, rending it asunder long enough for me to reach you.”

“Oh...heh...that would have been my little bro's doing then.” Kamina beamed to Celestia's surprise. “See...well...long story short; he sorta ascended so far in power that he was able to fight the god-like enemies of our universe that were oppressing all life to ensure that through some twisted logic, that the universe would exist forever in a state of stagnation or something. The battle practically spanned the entirety of our universe, destroying and creating galaxies...it was incredible.” Kamina mused with pride echoing through his being.

“W-well...yes, anyhow, what I was trying to get at is that our universe works on different fundamental laws than yours. One of which, is that your former race; humanity, doesn't exist in this universe at all. So, beings you're a pony now, it would logically dictate that you are attracted to the local species of this world. Ponies only being one of them. I have no idea if you'd be attracted to griffins or minotaurs or such.” Celestia helped clarify with him, making Kamina let out a breath in relief.

“Ok, so, totally normal, nothing screwy with my head. Time to eat!” Kamina got up on his rump, and then looked between his hooves and the cart covered in delicious salad and fruits. “Um...how am I going to go about this?”

Celestia sighed, and then smiled as she got an idea. “Wait a bit; I'm going to get somepony who is fully capable of helping you adjust.”

===//////>

Kamina grumbled as his stomach hurt from its cruel emptiness, and he glared hatefully at the eating utensils his useless hooves couldn't interact with. “HOW DO THEY USE THESE?!” Kamina planted his face on the edge of the cart. “...Ow....” Kamina's sudden moment of despair was interrupted by the door opening, revealing a lavender unicorn mare, with bright purple eyes, and a two-toned straight mane and tail that was mainly a dark purple-blue with a single pink highlight running through them, and she had a detailed starburst cutie mark on her flanks.

“Greetings! I am Twilight Sparkle; Princess Celestia's personal student.” After she introduced herself, a small purple bipedal lizard with green fins walked in after her, carrying a towering stack of books. “And this is my dragon assistant; Spike.” Spike dropped the books, causing a couple to fall off the top, and then waved to him.

“Hi! It's nice to meet you!” Spike then pulled out a scroll from...behind him, and checked something with a quill that he also got from...behind him. “Meet up with the pony Kamina, check. Introduce ourselves, check. We're on a roll.”

They smiled at him, and Kamina began to sweat a little, suddenly feeling in over his head somehow. 'I don't know why, but I think things are going to get interesting soon....'

Author's Notes:

Yeah, that's right. I WAS going to immediately to a sequel to DDD, but of COURSE somebody had to inject pure MANLINESS into me! Blame http://www.fimfiction.net/user/EpicNinjaGamer for his inspiring comments, and daring include a link to Libera Me From Hell which always gets my blood boiling.