//------------------------------//
// Meetings Part 1 
// Story: Shadows 
// by DNA Hochburger 
//------------------------------//

	It is a quiet and sunny day in Equestria and in Canterlot was no cloud in the sky, which is proof that the pegasi in charge of it did their work correct and satisfactonate, when Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Pirncess Cadence, Prince and Captain Shining Armor and the Mane 6 are standing in the throne room and speak of matters at hoof.

"Because recent event we have gathered you here today to..." Celestia breaks of suddenly off, with shock and confusion written all over her face.

Twilight asks her with noticable concern in her voice: "What is the matter Princess Celestia?"

Celestia doesn´t answer her former student, as if she didn´t even hear her. Instead she turns to face her little sister, Princess Luna, which had the same worrisome facial expression as her. Confusion spreads throught the as everypony is focused on the two princesses.

Princess Cadence asks now, with serious anxiety in her voice: "Luna, Celestia, what is happenig? Why are you in so much tension?"

Celestia doesn´t answer her with words, but in lieu she puts an hoof infront of her muzzle, to signal everypony to be quiet. And it becomes completely silent, because everypony tries to figur out what happened that the princesses are like... well that. 

At first they can´t hear anything, just the deep breathing of the gathered, but then after a couple of confusing seconds there is another sound. It is gentle, but slowly comming closer and getting louder. It´s no exordinary sound. No, not at all. It´s a sound you could have heard almost everywhere and to anytime of the day, no matter day or night. The sound is the simple sound of somepony walking, but this plain sound is still stunning. It´s not a guard as Twilight quickly analysises, as she can´t hear any armor.

Time pases and the pony, which the sound belongs to, can be heard the distance between them shorten. Everyponys eyes are glued to the the door in anticipation, for who it could be. While everypony was waiting, one of the guards outside of the double door starts shouting: "Hold intruder, identify yourself!" A couple of statical charged seconds later, in which the steps don´t cease, the other guard starts yelling: "As an order from...", but the guard isn´t able to finish his sentence, the reason unknown. Two bodies can be heared crashing onto the ground, but the steps still don´t stop. They are now almost at the door.

Then the big doors are getting suddenly riped open, as a massive amount of air is pumped throught them. Twilight quickly raises a shield around all of them, for any attack that could be possibly thrown at them, but there aren´t comming any.

There is now a large dust cloud, where they have seen the door just a moment ago. A black coated figure steps out of it. It´s a male pegasus with a mane, that is as white as Celestias coat itself. He has no emotion on his face, as he walks step by step towards them. When he reaches the middle of the room he stops walking and just glares at them, through his deep red eyes.

Befor anypony can react Princess Luna starts talking, in pleasent anticipation: "DNA? DNA, is that you?", while she takes a step forward, slowly and unsure.

The stallion just puts on a wide grin. And she starts to run towards him.

When she reaches him she gives him a big and tight hug. She starts to cry a bit. He strokes her over the head and says with a strong, but pleasent voice: "What is it, Luna? Did Celestia tease you again?"

Princess Luna exits the embrace and answers, while wiping away a set of tears: "You know exactly why I was crying. We havn´t seen you for... I don´t even know it anymore. You just disappeard the morning after we arrived. And NOW you just appear here as if nothing happend. I though you were dead. I missed you."

"Well I´m sorry about that, but something came up that I had to deal with and then something different came up and thats the reason I´m just now back. Also, who do you think your talking to? You know I´m not dying that easily", says the stallion with a cheeky smile.

Luna begins to smile too and says: "Isn´t that always the case with you? Well I´m just glad your fianally back."

Now Princess Celestia, who was in a shock state till now, begins to walk to this mysterious pony. When he notices her he turns around to face her. When she reaches him she says in a clam voice: "DNA."

"Celestia."

She begins to smile and, to the suprise to everypony, takes a bow, which her sister, to a bigger suprise to everypony, imitates. The stallion lets out a small sigh and says then in a slightly annoyed voice: "I thought we were finished with bowing." Celestia and Luna get up and just smile at him.

Twilight, who just watched till now, comes to them and asks: "Celestia who is this pony, that somepony like you and Luna would bow befor him just like that? He doesn´t seem royal."

Celestia turns to her former student and responds: "Oh yes, Twilight, I almost forgot that we are not alone. Can you remember I told you ones about an old friend of mine named DNA?"

Twilight thinks for a second and answers the: "No, I´m sorry I try to remember everything you tell me, but I don´t seem to remember you telling me about somepony named DNA."

Celestia seems confused and asks: "Twilight, are you 100% sure about that? We had a whole lesson about him."

"Yes I´m sure about it. When we even had a whole lesson about him I´m very positive that you never told me ones about somepony called DNA."

"But that can´t be right I´m sure that I told you about... DNA!", Celestia had screamed that last word as she turned around to him. "What have you done?"

He tries to look as innocent as possible, which fails terrible, when he says: "Celestia I have no idea what you are talking about."

"I have been with you long enogh to know that you planned this."

"Well I have maybe put a spell onto Spikes egg that whoever hatches him forgets everything that he is being told about me, but don´t worry the spell is being destroyed when the said creature meets me in pony. So the spell is not even activ anymore. But I have to say I´m a bit shocked that neither you nor Luna have not noticed that there was a weird aura around her."

Celestia and Luna blush a bit, as they are being told their little mistake and Celestia responds: "I though it would just be that she has a really big magic aura."

"And I just never paid her too much attention, because she is my sisters protégé not mine,", says Luna trying to excuse herself.

Then Twilight interjects again: "So let me get this straight DNA. You basically put an spell on me, so that I forget everything that I´m being told about you?"

DNA puts a hoof to his chin, rethinks what she just said and answers her with a big grin: "Yes. Are you angry about that?"

"I´m not being angry that you put a REALLY powerfull spell on me, but I´m actually really curious about two thing. First: Why would you want that your friends personal student doesn´t know about you. And Second: How..."

She can´t finish her sentence, because she gets cut short from him, as he says: "The answer is rather simple: BECAUSE! Now that that is cleared I think I didn´t introduce myself properly yet. My name is DNA Hochburger and I´m an old acquaintance of Princess Luna and Princess Celestia." Twilight looks confused to Celestia, about that quite rude answer that he gave her, but she just chuckles a bit.

"Also teacher, mentor, savior and friend," Luna mentions while standing right next to him facing everypony.

He turns his head to her and responds: "Luna, what are you talking about? I´m no savior. Maybe teacher and mentor, but definitly no savior. I just helped you a bit. No big deal, when you ask me."

Celestia and Luna roll their eyes in the exact same moment and Celestia argues: "Oh DNA, you know exactly that you did more than just help us a bit. You saved two little foals from multiple near death situtions and guided said foals around the world."

"Yeah like I said: No big deal, when you ask me."

Celestia lets out a sigh, but then continues with a serious voice: "Yeah, but you are you and nothing different thinks like this, except you. BUT thats not the point here, is it?"

"Well maybe have kind of a problem."

"And how big is this problem, because when it would be just kind of a problem you would either let us handle it or you would deal with alone."

"I would say, on a scale from 1 to 10, pretty big."

"How big? And please don´t lie about it."

"I will tell you it, but everything in time. I have yet to introduce myself to everypony first."

"Do we have time for this, DNA?", complains Celestia, while massagening one of her temples.

"There has to be time for that. Anywho I´m sorry for that rough beginning," he´s turning to Twilight, "Hi my name is DNA Hochburger, but please call me DNA."

Twilight is a bit taken over by him, but catches herself quickly and says with a warm smile: "Oh yes hello my name is Twilight Sparkle, nice to meet you."

"Hi and I´m Pinie Pie." A pink pony appears suddenly between them.

While Twilight stumbles a few feet back, DNA stands still and says, without any suprise in his voice: "Hi Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie pulls in alot of air and begins to talk: "Oh my cheese! You are so unbelievable and cool. I mean come on first you come in here as you would own this place and then you even are an old friend of the princesses, well at least from Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, but STILL they are like... wow. And then they say you saved their live. That makes you like a jillion times cooler. I think not alot ponys can grace themself with that, well I guess the girls an me did that once or trice, but STILL. Somepony like you has to have a special somepony. Can you tell me who it is, pleeeeeeaaaaassssss."

"Pinkie I reckon you shouldn´t asks somepony like him something as personal as that," interrupts Applejack Pinkie, with her well-known accent, as she walks up besides her and then turns to face DNA, "Ahm mighty sorry for that, but sometimes Pinkie here forgets that there is something called personal space."

"It´s ok. From where I come from it´s a perfectly normal question, so don´t sweat it. But thanks for trying to give me some privacy," answers her DNA, with a casual voice.

"Oh don´t mention it. But Ah guess Ah should introduce mahself too, huh? Well mah name is Applejack, nice too meet yah."

"Yes, nice meeting you too. But anyways Pinkie to your question from before," he turns to the pink pony again and she starts to hop on the spot, in expectation of his answer, "You were right when you asked, I have indeed have someponys special, but... well how should I put it. They are special to me, but not in the way you think they are, also they are not ponys."

"Oh you mean the guys on the pictures?", replies Pinkie and points in the air a just a bit over DNAs head.

Everypony looks to the spot Pinkie is pointing at, but nopony could see anything, exept Luna, Celestia, DNA and of course Pinkie Pie. "Wait you can see them?", questions DNA Pinkie.

"Duh, of course. Come on, you can hardly miss them," answers Pinkie, as if it would be the most obvious thing there is.

"Pinkie, what are you talking about. There is nothing," interjects Twilight trying to figur out what she means.

"Well Twilight I´m not suprised that you can´t see it, but I have to admit I´m a bit suprised that Pinkie can see them, even when I should have guessed she can. I will explain it later, but for now let me meet the rest." Twilight just nods in responds of that statement.

He turns away from Twilight just to be eye to eye with a multicolored maned pegasus. The mare asks him: "Are you fast?"

Confused by her question he replies: "What?"

Rainbow Dash says, a bit annoyed, that he didn´t get it the first time: "I asked you if you are fast. You are a Pegasus after all."

He looks down on himself and sees that he has still wings then turns around to Rainbow, while he facehoofs himself and says: "Right I have still the wings. I totally forgot that I´m still a pegasus."

Twilight steps forward again and asks, curious over his statement: "What do mean by that you are still a Pegasus. You don´t simply change what you are."

"Yeah normally you don´t, right?", conferms DNA with an unsure and quiet laughter, while rubbing the back of his head. "Anyway I think I still have to meet some more ponies," he continues, trying to avoid the ineviteable questions for a bit longer, while walking towards Rarity, which said nothing up to this point.

Twilight is just about to say something, when she feels a hoof on her shoulder. When she looks who it is she suprised to see Princess Luna, who shakes her head.

"But I want to know," says Twilight to her in replie, trying to be not to sound to exited about their visitor, without much luck.

"Do not worry Twilight Sparkle he will inform us what he has planned, when he thinks the time is right. Till then we need to have faith in him, without questioning him."

"You would follow this stallion to the end of the world, wouldn´t you Princess Luna?"

"Indeed I would," Luna chuckles a bit, for no particular reason, "Is it that obvious?"

Twilight nods slighly and then turns her attention to DNA again.

DNA fianlally reaches Rarity and then says, with a warm smile: "Hello, my name is DNA. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name, miss?"

Rarity is a bit taken by suprise, from the sudden formal approach he takes, but quickly gets a hold of herself again and answers: "Of course you may. My Name is Rarity. You are quite the gentlecolt, aren´t you?", also with a bright smile.

"I do the best as I can. I´m actually quite a fan of your work. I would love to have you something designed for me at one point, by you. That is when we have time for it. Would you do that for me?", he compiments her and then thinking to himself 'And if we all don´t die a terrible death.'

Her smile widens and her eyes begin to shine, at the hearing of that offer, the reasons being that she doesn´t get to design alot for stallions and the fact that he is friends with Luna and Celestia and says then: "Oh, I would love to," trying not to lose her cool to much (you can guess how that worked).

With that he turns away and goes up to Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. When he is up the stairs he first takes a bow, wich she replies, and then salutes to Shining Armor, wich he replies. Then he begins to smile at them, wich both of them return. Then DNA says: "It´s so nice to see the two of you. You both have grown so much, since I last saw you."

Then they both say in unison: "It´s nice to you too."

They turn their heads towards each other and Cadence asks her husband: "You have met him too?"

He nods and says: "Yes I have. But it was quite some time ago actually. I got just got out of training camp and got stationed here in Canterlot, as royal guard. It was shortly befor Twilights birth. I met him in my first week back then. I had to stand guard at one of the backdoors of the castle. Then he came up to me and saluted. I saluted back of course, because I thought he was in the millitary too and maybe wanted to deliver a message. And he did deliver a messeage, well it was more of a really strong advice and an unexpected on too. He said that I should focus on becomming better at my job and trying to become Captain of the Royal Guard. I did as he told me and started to train harder than I ever trained befor, I still don´t why I listened to him. But I´m glad I did. It helped that a couple of weeks later I stoped a robber and his group singlehoof, because of my training. But I´m goining off track. Yeah that´s how I met him. How did you meet him?"

His wife lookes at him, with a bit of suprise, because he has never told her that and answers: "I guess my story how I met isn´t as spectacular, as yours Shiny. I met him when I was just a little filly. Celestia has just adopted me and I still had to figur out life a place. Luna hadn´t transformed into Nightmare Moon back then. When I wandered around the halls to explore the castle I saw him standing at a open window looking out. I walked up to him, because I was curious and I had never met him befor. I asked him what he was doing here and he responded that he was watching the beatiful sight. I jumped as I tried to see what he meant, because I was too small to see out of the window. He then let me up on his back and I then saw what he meant. The sight really was gorgeos. Below was a wide area of grass and in the distance there was a forest stretching till the horizon, where Celastias sun just went down. We watched the scenery what felt like hours. Eventually I guess I fell asleep, because when I awoke the next morning in my bed. Of course I went back to the spot that I met him, but he wasn´t there. Every evening fo ten years I went to the spot to look if he was there. I never saw him since and eventually I just thought he was an illusion I created in my mind as a child. But I always bugged me through," when Cadence looks back at the others in the room she notices the stares resting on her. She blushes a bit, which is almost not noticable on her pink fur.

Then DNA begins to talk again, drawing the attention from everypony on him, as he says: "Well there you have it. I think that was everypony to meet then." He now stands infront of the throns and looks at everypony standing there, when he notices something. "Where´s Fluttershy? I could have sworn in saw her when I got in." He looks around the room.

Everypony looks now across the room. No Fluttershy. Now Twilight begins yelling: "FLUTTERSHY? FLUTTERSHY WHERE ARE YOU?" Still no Fluttershy.

Suddenly a booming voice rises an silences every other voice: "FLUTTERSHY SHOW YOURSELF! THERE IS NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF!" It´s Luna using her 'Traditonal Canterlot Royal Voice'.

Then there comes a quiet 'eeep' from behind Celestias throne, as Fluttershy peaks around it and asks: "Is he gone?" From the sight of DNA she hides again behind the throne and shakes hard in fear, of him.

Twilight and the others just want to go and talk to her, to say her everything is ok, but DNA raises his hoof to stop them. He then closes his eyes for a couple of seconds befor he begins to glow. Everypony steps a step back, expect for Celestia and Luna. When the glow fades there stands a little dog on the spot where DNA just stood a moment ago.The little puppy looks himself up and down shortly and then goes behind the throne, where Fluttershy still cowards.

There is complete silence in the room, befor Fluttershys voice could be heard: "Oh hello there little one. Where are you comming from?"

Silence again.

Fluttershy again, this time screaming in horror: "WHAT. Oh NO NO NO! This can´t be real I have to hallucinate." You are able to hear short and quick breaths.

Silence, in which you can only hear Fluttershys panic breaths.

"Ok. I will try," Fluttershy again, alot much calmer, to the rest relieve.

'It sounds a bit as if she would talk to herself', Twilight and others of the Mane 6 think, because they don´t see or know what is happening. But with Luna, Celestia, Shining Armor and Cadence that is different. They either know what happens, which is the case with Luna and Celastia. Or they can see what is happening, which is the case with Cadence and Shining Armor.

From their perspectivethey they can see that Fluttershy talks to the little dog.

Just a few seconds later Fluttershy and the dog come back from behind the throne.

The dog now stands befor them all with Fluttershy behind him slightly to the left. He looks back at her and she says then, in a really quiet tone: "Ok."

Then the dog closes his eyes and starts to glow just like befor and when it fades DNA is back with a big smile on his face, as he says: "SOOoooo. Shall we continue?"