> Shadows > by DNA Hochburger > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Meetings Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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?" > Meetings Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "SOOoooo. Shall we contiune?", DNA asks with a wide grin on his face. "What. Did. Just. HAPPEN," Twilight says, first trying to sound collected, but failes miserable as pure exitment takes over, for the thirst of knowlege. The look on her face goes from confused to... well lets say crazy, even when that understates it. In a flash she teleports inches from his face, but he is unfazed by that as he just stands there not showing any reaktion in contrast to Fluttershy, which flinches when Twilight teleports. But not DNA. NO, because he doesn´t care. "EXPLAIN! I want to know everything. For example what did just happen? The thing with dog I mean. And why are you here in the first place? You said something bad is gonna happen, but what exactly. I need information. I need knowlege. Please," says Twilight, almost pleading. DNA lays a hoof around her neck to calm her and it works, surprisingly. He walks with her down the stairs to her friends. "Twilight, I can understand what your going through. The thirst of knowlege pumping through you and that you want to satisfy it by any means. Really I understand, but I would bet with you that I know something that you want more at the moment." "Oh really, do you? Are you sure about that?", Twilight responds in a much calmer voice. "Yes, I am," he answers in an impossible confident voice. "So you wanne make a bet? When you show or give me what I desire more than knowlege at the moment I won´t ask another question, till you allow me too, but when you are false I am allowed to ask one question, that you have to answer." He puts an hoof to his chin and thinks a second before answering: "Ok sure, but if I win you and your friends aren´t allowed to ask a single questions. And if I lose all of them are allowed to ask on question each. Deal?" Twilight looks to her friends, which all nod in approval. Then she turns to DNA again and says with over confident voice: "Deal." DNA gets a grin on his face and continues: "Well then let´s start. So what would Twilight Sparkle like to have? You are antisocial, because really you almost just interact with your friends and family," Twilight frowned a bit at that statement, "you love books and knowlege, which I can´t give you, because that would defeat the purpose of the bet," he put a hoof to his chin. "So what can I give a pony that desires nothing more than knowlege and friendship? Oh I have a idea," he says in played suprise, "a colt." The answer actually suprises Twilight, because she did not expect that. She has expected for him to say fame or money, but a colt. She wipes off the confused look on her face and says then with the victory in her grasp: "Hah, you lose I don´t want a colt. It seems you lose." Not for one second his expression ceases as he immediatly responds: "Oh Twilight don´t you remember the bet. We said 'show or give', but I merely told you what you want, so now I will show you what you want," with that DNA turns to the door and yells, "Please come in." The doors open, as a pegasus royal guard, with light-orange coat color and a dark blue mane, steps in. At the sight of him Twilights heart misses a beat. It´s Flash Sentry. She can´t react, so her body does it for her and with that she runs to him. When he sees her he starts to run too. As they meet, they close in for a tight embrace. Shining Armor looks at his wife, with a confused look. She titters a bit at the look on his face and to the fact that he didn´t notice that his little sister had a special somepony. Twilight feels like this hug is the only thing on this world at the moment. She wishes it could last forever, but like everything it has an end, as DNA interrupts the embrace, when he says, with a light chuckle: "So Twilight, did I win?" Twilight loses herself from Flash, to look at him for a moment. She and him like each other. It´s apperent that they like each other to everypony, but they try not to do a big deal out of it. They knew that their relationship would become complicated, with her being a princess and him being a royal guard. But they wanted to try it anyways. She wanted to take it slow with their relationship and he agreed. They always met secretly. She turns around to face DNA. He just stands there in the middle of her friends, family and mentors. She sighs, in thought that she lost and DNA knows it, he just wants to hear it from her. "Ok you won," with defeat clearly in her voice. Then she looks at her friends and apologises: "I´m sorry girls I let you down," and lowers her head. She feels a hoof on her shoulder and looks who it is. It´s Flash, with an understanding smile, as he says: "Twilight, I don´t know what this about, but I´m certain that it won´t mean that the world is being destroyed, because of it. And even when, I will always be by your side to help and protect you. So don´t worry." His little speech gives her hope again and she smiles again. It´s a weak smile, but it´s a smile. "Isn´t that nice? Well now that this is finished we can finally continue," and DNA is about to continue, when he remembers something. DNA turns to Flash and says: "Oh yeah Flash you are not allowed to ask me any question what so ever, till I allow it. Am I being clear?" Flash salutes and says: "Yes, sir," trying to be as professional as possible. "Good boy. Ok then so next thing on the agenda. What was it again," thinks DNA out loud, tapping lighly with his hoof on his head. "Oh right, we were out on meeting everypony." He turns to Celestia and Luna, before saying: "Hey Luna, Celestia is there anypony you would expect less to step through that door, than me?" The question is weird. Celestia looks to Luna, which shakes her head and then looks to DNA again and responds: "No, I guess not." A quick, evil smile slips over his face, befor turning to the same stone face he had befor. "Oh really? Let´s see ´bout that. Do you remember a little filly? She had a really light blue coat. Her eyes were unique and had the same colour, as her coat." Lunas and Celeastias hearts don´t miss on beat, but several at the mention of that description. The filly he is talking about is clear to both of the royal sisters. DNA doesn´t give them time to react to what he just said and then calls: "Snowdrop, come in please." The entrance doors open again, this time to a little filly. 'She looks like DNA explained, but there is something off about her,' Twilight thinks to herself. As the filly walks along the carpet, Twilight and Flash step away to give her space to pass. When the filly passes them Twilight notices what is off about her: She is a robot. Her and Flashs jars drop when they see it. Snowdrop continues her walk futher, till she reaches Pincess Luna and Princess Celestia. DNA steps beside her a starts laughing. He laughes HARD. But he is the only pony who laughs, as everypony else is either confused or shoked of the sight. Then suddenly Celestia starts shouting at DNA: "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" DNAs laughing ceases more and more, till it stops. He then looks at her and answers: "Whatever do you mean, Celestia?", while wiping away a tear. "Oh, know exectly what I mean. You are aware that you can pull alot of jokes with and on us and I´m fine with that, really. BUT let the dead rest in peace." DNA gives he a puzzled look, as he clarifys: "Celestia, what the hay are you talking about? She´s not dead. She´s right there," pointing at Snowdrop. "But she died. I saw it. I stood next to her hospital bed when she died. So explain how can she stand there? She looks alike her, but she´s not even living. So how is this her?", a tear falls out of her eye. "First that with the living is rude. She alive. Not bilogical, but mentally. Second, you ask how she stands there when you saw her die? Well that´s easy to explain. You saw her die? That´s not entirely true. You saw her body die, her soul lived on. Then I took her soul and put it into this body, so she live on and meet you again. Easy as that," he explains matter-of-factly. Celastias sadness is wiped up with this statement and her only thought is: 'Snowdrop is alive. Snowdrop is alive.' "So this here is Snowdrops soul in a robot body?", it´s Princess Luna who asks, the first words since Snowdrop came in. "Yes. But you know she can talk, right?" DNA says plainly. Celestia and Luna look down at the filly, which says then: "I´m back," with a smile. Celestia and Luna both start to give her a hug, which looks funny that two big alicorns hug a little filly robot. Rainbow goes to Applejack and whispers: "Hey AJ, don´t you think we are let a bit out of this whole meeting?" "What do ya mean?" "I mean he comes in greets us all. Yeah nice of him, but now he just ignores us. It´s like we aren´t needed." "Well there is alot to catch up with and here are alot of poys so it´s hard to talk with everypony at ones and that´s why we are being kinda ignored here Ah guess," Applejack reaponds. Suddenly a cough interrupts their little conversation. When they turn to see who it is, they see it´s non other than DNA. He gives them a stern look. They both take a step back. "So, you two feel that you are being ignored?" They boh gulp and answer in unison: "N-no, sir!" "Oh really, because I think you do. Don´t worry the next couple of days I´m going to give you more attention than you would like," with that he turns away from them. Then he looks in the air and says seemingly random: "Discord, how long do you still want to watch?" Then Discord appears out of thin air. As he floats downwards he states: "Oh DNA, you can be such a wet blanket. I wanted to make a grand entrance, but of course you had do deny it." "Oh, I´m sorry," DNA apologizes. Discord lands before him and gives DNA a hug, while telling him: "It´s nice to see you again. It´s been to long my old friend." "I have to agree on that with you." Twilight is desperate. She wants to ask so much questions, but she can´t. She has lost a bet and she is determined to hold what they decided on as the price. She feels a hoof on her shoulder again. It´s Flash smiling at her. She smiles back and feels a lot calmer now, because of that gesture. Shining Armor, still on top of the stairs, sees the little gesture of his guard towards his sister and decided to talk to him when this is all over. For now he thinks it´s best to let it slide, so that he doesn´t evoke a chaos. They lose the embrace before DNA continues: "So we are almost full now. We just need another three ponys," he looks at Discord, "And one of them is to all of you very familiar. Even when some of you maybe don´t like him that much, he´s a very good friend of mine." Discord gazes at DNA with a curious sight, before asking with a bit of pleasant anticipation in his voice: "You don´t mean him. do you?" DNA smiles at him cheeky and then answering: "Oh I totally mean him." "Who is him, when I might ask?" askd Celestia with quite the annoyed look on her face, while stepping besides them. "I thought I said it allready. You know him. Your relationship hasn´t been the brightest in the past, but I´m sure you gonna get along just fine. Well I´m almost certain of it." "And I´m asking you again: Who is it?", repeats Celestia, with impatience clearly in her voice. Now Discord answers her: "Oh dear Celestia. I´m suprised you haven´t figured it out by now. Can´t you count off all the enemies you wanted to kill over your life span and then figure it out? It should be easy enough," with a voice as if it would be totally normal. "Discord you are aware that I lived for thousends of years, right?" "Yes. So what´s your point?" "Do you think I remember everything I wanted to kill over my life span?" "Well, when you put it like that... Yes. I lived almost as long as you do and I remember each one," says Discord, with a hint of pride in his voice. Celestia lets out a deep sigh, remembering it´s Discord she´s talking to and it has no use to argue with him, before turning to DNA again: "You still didn´t answer my question, DNA. Who is standing infront of this door?", with a much calmer voice. "Right, I need you all to stand back." Celestia gets an douptfully expression, as she asks: "And why is that?" "Oh the reason is rather simple. I said you aren´t to friendly with him, right? So I need all of you to stand back, so that Discord and I can create a barrier, because you would probobly attack him." Now Celestias expression turns even more douptfully, then before: "You want me that we go behind a barrier, so you can let something in here that everpony here wants to kill?" DNA thinks for a second, before saying: "Yes, basically." Celestia let´s out yet another sigh, befor turning to everypony else: "Ok you heard him let´s all go to the back." Twilight trots to her mentor and asks: "Are you sure about this? I mean can we just trust him like that? Ok sure, I know Luna says she trusts him blind, but I don´t think somepony as wise as you would just trust somepony like... how shall I put it? I just want to say I don´t trust him as much as you or Luna do." Celestia puts a hoof on her shoulder: "I know you don´t and I don´t think one of your freinds does, but Luna and I went a long way with him. That´s why we can trust him like that and I´m sure that the time will come that he will proof that to you too. And I think this time will come sooner than we would like to," with that she turns away from Twilight and walks to the back. Twilight walks to the back, where her friends allready wait for her to return. "And, how was it?", the blue pegasus asks. "Well she says that she trusts him and that the time will come that he proves that he is worth our trust too," answers Twilight. "So, we can´t do anything, exept trust him?", replies Applejack. "I guess so. I´m sorry girls," says Twilight, with a sad tone. Fluttershy goes over to her and gives her hug: "Don´t be sorry. You did nothing wrong." "Yeah! Everything is going to be easy peasy," screamed Pinkie, while hopping around her. "What Pinkie means darling is that whatever comes at us we gonna survive it, as friends," encourages Rarity. Twilight looks at her friends, who all nod in approval: "Thanks girls." "Ok now that you are finished with your little talk, we can continue or?", comes DNA from the middle of the room. "So what is going to happen, you may ask yourself. Discord will create a magical chaos barrier and I will create normal barrier. In theory no physical and no magical attack can penetrate it from both sides. Also I hope no teleportation is possible through it. So without any futher interruption let´s start!" With that he gives a nod to Discord, which Discord returns. Discord raises both of his paws infront of him and closes his eyes. A blackish, thin wall appears between him and the rest. When it´s over Discord looks it over and smiles proud of his work, before saying: "Ok DNA, my part is done, now it´s your turn." DNA just gives him a slight nod. He looks square at them, with a blank expression. His deep red eyes turn for the fraction of a second light red, befor turning to their original colour. Suddenly a blueish wall appears between them. It looks more solid than the one Discord created. When it suddenly appears all of them jump a step back. "WHAT IS THAT?", comes a scream from Twilight. "Whatever do you mean?", asks DNA with an innocent voice. "This... thing." "Are you trying to break the bet?" "N-no, I´m sry." "It´s ok, just don´t forget, " camls her DNA. "Anyway I guess I will call in our guest," states DNA, turns around and walks to the door. Celestias leans down to look at Snowdrop and asks her: "Have you met him allready?" She nods, before answering: "Yes, I have." "And how is he?" Snowdrops thinks for a moment: "Wel, when I first met him he was scary looking, but he is a really nice stallion." Celestia straightens herself up again and thinks to herself 'Well this can get interesting.' DNA opens the door slightly and pokes his head out. He seems to talk. After a couple of seconds. He pulls his head in and closes the door behind him, with a happy expession on his face. "Ok then if you all would please give me your attention. Thanks. So, somepony is gonna step through that door now. You will all recognise him, but please don´t panic he is good, not evil," with that he turns towards the door and says: "Please enter." The door opens and through it steps a familiar figure. A red horned unicorn, with a black coat and red cape: Sombra. > Meetings Part 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The door opens and through it steps: Sombra. It´s silent. Not like normal silent, but like when everything knows something is gonna happen and just wait that something to trigger all of the tension that build up. There they are having a stand off. Sombra, DNA and Discord on one side of the barrier and the others on the other side. They just stare at each other. Sombra sighs and then looks to DNA, before saying: "I still think this is a bad idea. I mean look at them they are scared of me." "Well I on the the other hoof think it´s going great," answers DNA with a casual voice. "Please explain." "For one they did not try to attack you." "Because they think I´m stronger than them." "But they have the Elements of Harmony." "Then please tell me: Why haven´t they attaked yet?", wants Sombra to know from DNA. "They are probaply in a shock state right now, not knowing how they should take your arrival and are measuring what the best plan of action is, at this point." "Or they are to scared to do anything," a familar voice interferes them. It comes from an even more familiar draconequus. Sombra turns to look at him and greets him: "Oh Discord it´s been centuries since I have seen you. How has it been?" "It´s been as well at it could have been. You look good." "Yeah DNA gave me an work over" "Oh I want one, too," says Discord with played jealousy. DNA interrupts him: "And why should I do that?" "Well I was imprisoned in stone for a millennium," answers Discord, while wiping over his hair. The three of them share a laugh like old friends would. She can´t believe. Celestia can´t believe what she is seeing right now. Her old friend DNA, the reformed Discord and on of the most evil dictators Equestria has seen over it´s life time are laughing toghether like old friends. She has to be dreaming. She thinks back. Did she have to much alcohol last night? No, she had no alcohol last night what so ever. Was she still sleeping. She closes her eyes trying to wake, when she opens them she is still in the room at the same point. She pulls all her courage toghether, befor asking: "DNA, is this real or are you pulling a prank on me?" DNA stops laughing, before turning towards Celestia and saying: "Oh hey she can talk. Of course this is real. Do you know how hard it is to create a dream with so much ponies connected? No, that would be to much work for a joke." "So I´m not seeing things?" "Correct." "That means Sombra, the real Sombra, the one I fought with so hard, is standing here in my throne room laughing with you and Discord?" "What is the matter with you today, Celestia? Yes you are here at this point in time. You are in real life with us, with your family, your friends and also Sombra." "Then please explain," she requests DNA. "We need him and I wanted to see my old friend, that´s why." "I mean everything. Why was I fighting him and now he is standing here in peace? And what is happening that we need him anyway?" "The first question I can answer right now. I needed to test them." Celestia raises an eyebrow, before continuing: "What do you mean by 'testing them'?", now with less stiffness and more curiousity in her voice. "I mean the element bearers of course. I needed to now if they are ready for what lies ahead of them. If they had failed my little challenge, I would had to take the whole population of the planet and put it somewhere else." Celestia gulps, knowing there was comming something big towards them: "And what? "Ah yes your second question. I hate to disappoint you, but this has to wait a little longer." "And why is this?" "When you would have counted you would know. Before Sombra stepped in ,I said we are missing another three ponies. So what is three minus one? Correct it´s two. We are missing two guests." "Will they be as big of an suprise as Sombra here?" "I guess you mean if you know them and if they are a threat," DNA puts a hoof to his chin thinking shortly, before he carrys on, "To be honest I´m not sure. I know for certain that Twilight and her friends saw at least one of them. From the other I´m not sure. But I don´t think you saw them yet. On the threat thing yeah definitely a suprise. They are both really kind, that is when you don´t get on their bad side. One of them destroyed two races until extinction one of them being his own, while the other really loves muffins. Also the way they travell is... special." Now Discord gets into the fun as well: "I don´t think I had the pleasure of meeting them. Who are they?" DNA smiles slightly, before answering: "None of you have, I think. But you will meet them in due time," he chuskles a bit,"The problem is I can´t just call them. I have sent him a message, I can just wait and hope that he shows up." "Should we maybe disable the barriers, seeing they don´t try to attack Sombra?", asks Discord, while leenig down to DNA. "I don´t think it´s a good idea, just yet, seeing Celestia is the only one being able to do anything and the other are stunned. And when we put them out of this state there could come rather strong emotions free. I don´t see actual dangers in that sight with anypony, but Twilight. She seems to have some strong emotions today, like a bomb just waiting on getting detonated. What do you mean Sombra, it´s you life on string." "I´m gonna leave the decision in your grasp, seeing you know what´s going to happen," Sombra respondes, with his usual monotone tone. "Ok, then it´s decided you will have to stay behind these walls." "I think that´s a good judgment, because I think I would not be able to control myself on killing him," throws Celestia in, while throwing a death glare to Sombra. "Oh and why is that my dear Celestia?", asks Discord. "Well maybe, because he tyrannized a whole city, overthrew their ruler, send ponys into the mines against their will, imprissoned a whole city for a millennium and killed THOUSENDS." "Oh Celestia please do you think I would let something like that slide, while I´m there. He never tyrannized anypony it was just an illusion from me. He never overthrew their ruler he became ruler fair and square. I just let them all forget it. The mine thing was also an illusion of mine. The city thing was also my doing. Or do you think he has enogh power to do something like that? And the killing also an illusion." "That means the whole Crystal Empire accident was your doing DNA?" "Yes." "Ok give me a moment here," Celestia takes a couple of deep breaths, before saying,"Ok I think I accepted it now. You said that Sombra has not enogh power to imprission the empire, but he was strong enogh to face me and Luna while we took him on with all our power. So how can this be?" "Oh I never said he faced you two alone. I helped him." "You help him fight US?" "Yes. He would have been never strong enogh to fight both of you together." "And why did you do this?" "To keep the illusion up of course. When you had defeated him that easily the elements would have never been able to fight him. That´s why I needed to keep up the illusion." Celestia takes another deep breath: "Ok good anything else you want to tell me, DNA?", with a stern look on her face. "No, not at the moment." "Then what now, DNA?" "I still think an apology is in order," interferes Sombra. "Oh I forgot you can be such a gentlecolt. Ok let´s do this," replies DNA with a huff. They both step infront of the barrier looking at Celestia, before bowing and saying in union: "We are sorry for what we did!" When Celestia looked before annoyed and angry, she was now just confused. "For what was that?", she asks slowly and carefully. They both go into a standing position again. Then Sombra answers her: "I just thought an apology was in order for all the trouble that DNA and I caused. I mean we tricked you for several month, hurt you badly and tricked you again." Celestia clears her throat, before saying: "Sombra I thank you. I would have never expect you to such a kind pony." "Well that is because you just met me as a tyrann and never casually,", responds Sombra, with a half smirk. "Oh that´s so heart breaking. Two old enemies laying their differences to the side and becomming friends. I could cry," intervenes Discord, with a handkerchif to wipe away his tears. "Not enogh attention Discord?", teases him DNA. They laugh, even Celestia. "That is a sight I would have never expect to see. My sister laughing with one of our old enemies." The sound comes from next from Celestia. It´s Luna. "Have we awoken from our beaty sleep?", asks DNA taunting. "Haha we are not amused, but I have to say I am quite suprised about that story and we are willing to exept your apology. Let´s start from sketch, so we can maybe even become friends." "See told ya everything is going to be just fine," says DNA enthusiastic, while patting his friend on his shoulder. "Hey Pinkie?" DNA screams at the pink party pony. "Yes?", screaming back. She´s allready hopping around the place full of energy again, while the rest of her friends just start get out of their stun, exept one: Twilight Sparkle. "Could you nudge Twilght for me, please." "Okie dokie lokie," and with that she stands beside Twilight and gives her a nudge so soft Fluttershy could´t have done it softer. But the nudge was enogh. Twilight starts shaking. "Great as I though." "What is DNA?", asks Celestia with a worrying voice, because she knows him good enogh to know when something is wrong... And something is wrong. "You know when I said Twilight is like a bomb that waits to detonate?" "Yes," comes it from literally everypony in the room, with a fearfull expression on their faces. "Well the bomb is about to detonate. But I have good and bad knews. The good ones being that when the next guest would have appeared it would have been uncrontrollable. The bad ones are that it´s still pretty bad." "How bad is it?", asks Celestia. "When I would be you I take a couple of steps back all of you. But I have another pair of good news for you. I thought that this was going to happen that´s why I let Snowdrop there with you. Snowdrop you know the thing I gave you?", she nods, "Put it on to her." Snowdrop is walking to Twilight. When she gets the she pulls out something that looks like a magic supresser cone with a little ball at the end of a string. Snowdrop places the cone quickly over Twilights horn, before turning away going back to Celestia and Luna. As she is still on her way to them a light erupts from Twilight. The light keeps on spilling out of her getting brighter and brighter, till it fades shortly after. She collapses on the floor. Her friends were allready on their way to her, before DNA screamed: "STOP. Whatever you do, do not touch the thing on her head, or we are all going to die." His words let´s everypony freeze. "Discord raise a shield around you and Sombra." The draconequus does exectly as he is being told. "Your others don´t let Twilight move. By all means keep her pinned to the floor, but don´t touch the thing on her head," he screams at them and they do as they are being told. When he reaches the barriers a quick punch and Discords barrier is down, then his eyes go light red again and then the second on goes away. He runs to Twilight where her friends keep her on the ground. When he reaches them he says: "Ok good job now leave he go." Her friends go quickly from her, so that DNA can get to her. He looks at ball, then touches it real soft and let´s out sigh of relief. He picks up the ball and holding it in the air, while saying: "Ok we are safe." Everything in the room let´s out a sgh of relief. Rainbow Dash comes over to him asking: "What was that all about?" He holds the ball infront of her muzzle, so she can see it better and then explaining: "This is a bomb. It has enogh power to destroy half of Canterlot." Rainbow steps a step back. "It absorbed the energy that Twilight had stored and kept it." He walks over to Snowdrop, before saying: "Snowdrop I´m sorry, but that is going to feel weird now," with that he pushes a spot on her back and it opens. He puts the ball inside it and then it closes again. "Good now that that is taken care of." "Is there bomb in Snowdrop now?", asks Celestia, with fear in her voice. "Yeah," answers DNA in a casual voice. "And why?", wants Luna to know. "I had to store it somewhere," replies DNA. VROMM Everything looks around and Celestia asks: "What was that?" VROMM "Oh they are here!", exclaims DNA, with great excitement in his voice. VROMM "Who?" VROMM "Haha, our last two missing guests of course." VROMM A blue box starts to materialize in the room. VROMM It´s almost not visible at first, but gets more and more colour the more time passes. VROMM Come on one last push. VROMM There it is a blue box. It has about the height of Discord. And a pony would almost not fit in, but the weirdest is, voices come from inside. "Are sure we are right here Doctor? I don´t want to be on the wrong planet again," says a female voice. "I don´t know what you mean Derpy. I thought it was great on that last planet," says the voice from a stallion. "You think almost every planet is great. Where are we anyway?" "We should be on your home planet." "And where?" "It says Canterlot Palace." "WHAT? Oh no no no no. We are screwed. What if the royal guards find us or worse? Doctor we have to get out of here NOW." "Calm down Derpy. I always wanted to visit the palace. Also we got called." "And who could possiblely need our help?" "Maybe the princess needs help with something." "She can raise and lower the sun and her sister can do the same thing with the moon. Do you think they need help, from US?" "Maybe she wants to play chess. I heard she´s good in it." "But that´s not the point here, Doctor!" "Yes it is. Ok let´s take a peak outside when somepony is outside we go again. But when nopony is out there I can have quick look around. Ok?" "I guess that´s ok then, but not for to long." "Yuhu. Then let´s go." The sound of a door being opened can be heard. "Look, nopony is there." Two ponies step out the box with their backs tuned to them. The door is being closed. The two ponies that stepped out of the box walk towards the door. "Where do you think we are anyways, Derpy, this room looks to good to be just some closet and when I want to live in a closet from now on." "Oh Doctor you are being silly again," says the mare. "No I mean it. Look at this place it´s huge. Not as big as my TARDIS, but big enogh." Now DNA fianlally says something: "Hello, Doctor." "Aaaahhhh. There is somepony there. What should we do, Doctor?", asks the mare , with a scared voice. "I say we say 'hello'." "And when the ponys evil?" "But why should an evil pony say hello and don´t attack us?" "I guess you have a point there," replies the mare in a much calmer voice. They come from behind the box for everything to see. The stallion has a brown coat with a lot darker mane and hourglass cutiemark. The mare has light grey coat with blond hair and seven bubbles as cutie mark. "Doctor we are in big problems. There is every single equestrian royalty. Do you think it´s to late run?", asks the mare, with a paniced voice. "Everysingle one? Oh boy that´s gonna be fun," he turns to DNA,"Hello my name is the Doctor and this is my companion. And who are you?" "Hello, my name is DNA Hochburger, I´m the one that send you the letter." "See Derpy I knew it would be fine. But DNA Hochburger is a weird name." "That is, because I come, like you, not from here." "You don´t mean?" "Yes I mean exactly this, but we shouldn´t discuss our private matters here at the moment. There are things that need more attention than this." The Doctors face is getting cold, before he asks: "How bad is it?" "Bad enogh that we have to kill a species." "Do we really need to?" "You want to see" The Doctor gulps, before saying: "Yes please." "Ok then, you said you wanted to see." DNA stepts for and lays a hoof on the other stallions head. Thousand of memories are flowing directly into his head. Pictures of horror and violence struck the Doctor. When it´s over DNA puts his hoof of his head as a single tear rolls down the Doctors cheek. He looks DNA directly in his eyes as he asks: "Why does this always happens to us?" "I don´t know, but we always get draged into stuff like this so we can change something. Are you going to help me?" "After seeing something like this? Of course. I mean how can I turn away from this?" "I´m glad that I can count on you Doctor," he turns around to the rest and saying: "Okay everypony listen up. This is the Doctor. And before somepony asks it´s just the Doctor. Deal with it. His companion here is Derpy. Please be nice to them," then he turns around to Doctor,"So let´s introduce you to everything." The Doctor wipes away the tear, before putting on a smile again and replying: "Sure. I heard here is every equestrian royalty?" "Yes why not start here first, because why not." "That sounds like a plan." "Ok here we got some of my closest freinds," he points at Discord and Sombra still in their magical bubble. They wave a their guests. "Why are they in that bubble?", asks Derpy, while waving back. DNA looks at the bubble, then at Derpy and then he turns around to face the others. "Can all of you promise me not to attack Sombra?" A quiet grumbling goes throught the audiences and a series of nods from everypony, some heavier then others. "Good I´m glad we can agree on that. Ok Discord you can lower the shield now," with a quick nod Discords lowers the shield around him and Sombra. "I have never seen something like you and I have seen alot in my life-span. What are you?", asks the Doctor, with great exitment, while walking around Discord inspecting him. "My name is Discord, I´m the spirit of chaos. And what are you? I can sense something weird about you, but I can´t put my finger on it," responds Discord while looking at the brown stallion, that stopped walking around him. "Discord, he´s comming from the same place I am comming from, also he travels through time and space," answers DNA for them. "Also the pony next to Discord is Sombra, " adds DNA, while pointing at Sombra. "WHAT?", everything turns to Derpy, because she screamed suddenly. "What is it Derpy? Did something happen?," querys the Doctor. Derpy says: "Yes. Sombra was a tyrann who ruled the Crystal Empire under an iron hoof," while pointing at Sombra, "So what is he doing here?" "If you care to know I can explain this," interfers DNA,"Sombra and I have set everything up at the Craystal Empire, so that it looks like he was a tyrann. We needed the princesses to fight and hate him, for reasons I don´t want to explain again." Derpy calms down, before saysing: "Ok, that means he´s not a big meany pants?" "That is right Miss Derpy. I´m not a 'big meany pants', as you called it," replies Sombra. "Over here we got Princess Luna, the blue one, Princess Celestia, the white one and Snowdrop the little one," continues DNA, while pointing at the three of them. The Doctor steps forward, takes a bow and greets them: "It´s a honor and pleasure meeting you, your highnesses." Princess Luna recovers from her little shock, before saying: "It´s nice to meet you too... Doctor was it? That´s sure an interesting name. I always thought it was just an profession and not a name." "It is not a name Princess Luna. It´s a title I choose to wear." "Then over here we have the royal pair. The stallion, Shining Armor, is captain of the royal guard and the prince of the Crystal Empire and the mare is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Cadence for short, she is the princess of the Crystal Empire," proceeds DNA and continues to walk, without caring about what they might have to say to each other. Derpy and the Doctor bow quickly, before following DNA hasty, as he is alredy at the Elements of Harmony. "This here are the Elements of Harmony. You can talk with them later, but I want to hurry with this. It took me already longer than expected and I have to still so much today. DNA walks towards the middle of the room then turning around to face everything in the room. All eyes are on him, as he says: "I´m sure that most of you wonder why I gathered you here today. The reason is simple. Let me explain."