Lord Tirek had spent his time, mainly alone in his throne room, seated, and appearing to the naked eye as though he were sleeping. This could only be half right, as he was neither asleep, nor awake. He was in a trance of meditation which allowed him to commune with the astral plane. This was a realm of the mind, and the soul where only a select few with the right training could hope to ever achieve. And it was in this state that he was holding council with the malevolent Outer God who was long since dead, but whose power remained in his mortal halves lineage: Tirathos. The Primordial Dark Lord who preceded him appeared to him in his consciousness as a ghostly, curve-horned apparition of shadow, and crimson evil. A malignant smile etched on its face as they spoke.

"You have done well, thus far, Lord Tirek." Tirathos had said to his successor, who appeared in the astral plane in his bare, armorless body, with little more than the shadow of a satchel hanging from his neck, and resting on his chest cloaked in malevolent Darkness: the imprint left by the presence of the artifact he still sought, The Dark Crucible. "The Mountain of Midnight, is now restored to its full, malevolent glory, with the Crystals of Power now brought back to their seat of power, ready to serve their new master. And more, a secret army being raised to undermine a pretender to the legacy of the One, True Grogar with a secret covenant keeping his own relic of power from where even he cannot see with that bauble of an orb. You have truly arisen since your days reduced to a simple brute who was only half the Dark Master he truly was. And I couldn't be more proud." Though he kept his stoic expression, Tirek bowed his head in respect to the praise the spirit of his master gave unto him - pride gleaming in his eyes as he does. "Thank you, my master. You do me great honor." He then grimaced. "But I remain shamed at the length of time it took for me to regain the powers you shared with me. Were it not for the brat who granted me this armor, and the false Grogar who provided me the means of finding The Heartstone of Anarchy, so that I may reunite the original missing piece to your heart, which returned our connection, I doubtless would have remained ignorant to my past, and had been reduced to a moronic jester in comparison to my true glory. I owe as much to the wretched filly who gave me my armor, and reignited the base of my true memories and persona as I do you for making me who I am, master."

"Now, my dear descendant," Tirathos chuckled amusedly. "You may have been my apprentice when I first found you - but it was YOU who proved that you were indeed my one, true heir, as well as the descendant of my mortal half's lineage." A tendril of shadow forming into a clawed hand to hold Tirek's shoulder in a gesture of comradery, which the centaur happily accepted given how he respected the Primordial. "You mastered the might of the Vashtar in ways no mortal in this realm, or all who branch out of it could ever hope to achieve. But blaming yourself for being affected by the power of The Primordial of Harmony, herself, does no good. You still found the means to escape that accursed cave, and deceived even the Chaos Spirit, Discord, into betraying his former comrades. I admire your double-cross, as even I knew it would only be a matter of time until the trickster betrayed you. And again, not even I could have anticipated the trickery of Harmony granted to the former Wielders of Harmony the power to weaken, and banish you. It was only good fortune your renewed hatred had called forth my essence from within your soul to restore you to your former self." Now it was Tirathos' turn to appear disdained. "I only wish I did more than heal your mind of most of the damage that damned Sword of Light had inflicted to revitalize the mind of evil I admire so, and simply left you in that cage with the Nosferatu Armor."

"I cannot blame you for that, mas-...Tirathos." Lord Tirek suggested. "After all, the dead in any form have limits to what they can do, don't they?" Tirathos gave himself a few moments to consider, before he came to his own realization. "Mayhaps you be right, my friend. After all, I gave you my power before my final rest came to pass. There was only so much of my knowledge I was able to pass on until I deemed you ready to succeed me." Tirathos smiled. " Either way, you exceeded my expectations: regaining enough memories of your training in The Dark Arts, using them to implant those commands into the infuriating little brat, and to utilize the Unbreakable Oath in coalition with your fully restored cunning and wits to ensure your/our freedom was secured. The false Grogar, and the rebellious Umbrum simply guided us to the means of reclaiming our true glory! And now, here we sit within the throne of our Kingdom, with a band of degenerates who are eager to prove their mettle, and rule this world at your command. Yes, you have come far in so little time, and it does my dark soul good to see you reclaim your greatness as Dark Lord."

"Thank you, Tirathos." Tirek bowed once more, more in respect than full fealty, before he made something clear. "Even so, those the false Grogar had summoned are nothing. A means to an end to help me secure the keys to returning this world to the age of Midnight Eternal. I have.........other allies in mind that will be suitable replacements once the others either serve their purpose, or their own plans for defeating Dusk Shine fail, as anticipated. As far as I am concerned, only Sombra and Erebus hold any usefulness to me, and i've no intention of losing them." He then looked down, and held up the satchel around his neck in this astral plane. "Not until I find what is rightful mine/ours, Great Tirathos. Only with The Dark Crucible will my plans truly succeed. Including the creation of my army. Only when it is ready shall I be ready to march to full-scale war, and end the reign of Harmony, and Light forever."

Tirathos nodded in respect, and understanding. "Your ambition, and forethought knows nearly no limits, my former apprentice." He then gave the centaur a questioning glance. "But even with the most skilled of magic spells, to build an army worthy of our Empire, we also require technological means of producing them without end. And this realm remains limited in its capacity for the combined skill of science, Sorcery and Technology." Tirek himself gave his soulmate a knowing smirk as he said, "I already have that taken care of. Dismay has proven themselves once again as my emissary, and has called out to an......old friend from beyond this world who was more than willing to aid me. Trust me when I say the issue of creating our Tiracian Horde will be dealt with soon. And we will have more than just our dark creatures to build our army, as you know." The apparition of shadow chuckled in delight. "Though my mortal reincarnation, you surpass the part that is Emperor Tirac in ways we have only dreamed of. You have truly done me - us - proud. As long as we remain patient, our shared victory is assu-" Tirathos suddenly convulsed, and began to writhe in pain for reasons Tirek did not know yet. But he did share some of his soulmate's feelings of pain, and it concerned him deeply. "Tirathos? What is wrong?! Has something happened?! Tell me!" After a few moments of silence, the hellish shade could only give his soulmate a single, hateful glare as the world around turned crimson. It was no hatred directed at his reincarnation-apprentice, no. This was a reaction to the presence of the one who is key to their destruction. And one Tirathos hated as much as Tirek himself.

"Scorpan, The Champion of Light.....HAS AWAKENED!!!" he roared.

This snapped Tirek out of his meditation, and had him brought back to the real world. His armor adorning him, still, and the Heart-Stone of Anarchy still hanging above the sinister shaft leading into its dark depths. And with only his crystals illuminating the room along with the inferno before him, Tirek's eyes narrowed as he allowed his senses to stretch beyond the Midnight Mountain. Past the hills, across the rivers, over the grasslands and above the trees until he was sensing, with his eyes now fully closed, the Everfree forest. And with further focus, he sensed exactly what his soulmate had sensed, as well. The thing he had dreaded most without even realizing: a powerful source of light emanating off of the one he once considered brother, Scorpan. The Champion of Light had indeed returned.....but he was not alone. He felt the presence of a pony with him who also had an air of importance in spite of his ordinality.

Yet when he tried focusing his voidance towards the appearance of this pony, he could not see his face - or his entire head, for that matter. It was the same each time he tried identifying the pony. Like some invisible force was barring him vision of the Gargoyle's new companion. No matter: now it was time to take measures to prepare for the confrontation he knew was coming. However, he needed to ensure that this would be taking place on HIS terms, and where HE decreed it would be. For that, he would require the first true use of his Dragon Crystals. He used magic to summon forth a bright, silver-blue crystal while stepping down from his throne. Once at the foot of its steps, he gave the crystal its command.

"Crystal of Scrying: awaken from your slumber."

And just like that, it shot into the floor like an arrow. As soon as it did, it began growing into a massive clutch of shimmering crystals that were as tall as he. From the peak emerged a magical projector, cracked, and fragmented like a mirror. Even cracking as the communication spell activated. Now, it was prime and ready for its masters orders.

"Summon King Sombra, at once."

In the lower level of The Midnight Mountain......

Another day.......another Tiracian monster to join the ranks of the Legion of Midnight's rising power, so long as their lab remained undiscovered, and fully functional as it was now. Under the strict, firm, and well-guarded supervision of Sombra, the Shadow King.

Out of the genesis pod emerged a new soldier, filled with savagery, and ready for destruction.

King Sombra smiled to himself at the impressive specimen before him. Granted, it took longer than he enjoyed producing these demons. But the end results spoke for themselves. And seeing as how he had the biggest hoof in their creation, his pride couldn't help but swell each time a new one was born. "Wowie! I know it's only been a week since you showed us the first one, Sombra, but seeing these Tirac-...tirakia-....Tiracians! Sorry about that: but even so, seeing them made, and this close is still amazing. At this rate, we'll be able to make Prince Dusk Shine, and his stupid friends bend over, and worship us as their real masters in no time!" And, of course, the moment had to be ruined by that moronically fake-sweet filly, Cozy Glow, accompanied by none other than the ex changeling queen, and The Storm King. Once he spilled the beans on their secret regime, Lord Tirek gave the rest of his secret allies the means to come and go to The Shadow Pit, which they had named the lab, to assist Sombra in producing their army. Didn't mean he had to like it, though. "Only WHEN we have the sufficient number for our needs: our current numbers barely make a squad, much less a garrison, and in turn, an army. Lord Tirek will want faster results than what I am producing."

"Don't you mean, we, smokey?" Storm King interjected accusingly. "Don't forget that we're the ones helping you with this mad science scheme you've been cooking up down here. You probably wouldn't have gotten all that far without us, because we're just that awesome."

"Keep telling yourself that." he muttered, though he was sure the Yeti heard him. Now Chrysalis was the one inspecting this new addition to the horde with both interest......and a smidgen of doubt. "As much as I enjoy having myself an army of loyal servants again, I have to wonder if these....beasts can truly be contained, or not. This one looks particularly vicious, and like it wants to bite our heads off. Sombra simply chuckled, and said, "That is why I have containment measures put into place. First of which, is getting this winged atrocity into the holding pens with the others." With his horn glowing with its dark magic, Sombra brought the very shadows to life, and formed them into being half as bulky, and as big as the Tiracian. The Storm King noting privately how they resembled his own soldiers. They even had tridents which also seemed to act like electrical prods. "Send this one down to the holding pen with the others.", Sombra ordered these shadow golems whole pointing his leg at the still growling beast. The shades did as instructed, and moved in to direct the monster.

But the minute the Tiracian saw the weapons, and the individuals wielding them approaching it, territorial instinct took hold, and it drew forth an ethereal sword made from dark energy, and cut down the golems with relative ease. Even as more approached out of the shadows, the beastial soldier carved through them like butter. Seeing this, the trio that stood beside Sombra couldn't help but feel at least more than a little nervous at this monstrosity coming close to making an escape......by carving on through them. "Sombra, aren't you going to actually do something about this? Your shadow golems are proving completely worthless! And if nothing's done, we'll be next!" Chrysalis exclaimed loudly at the pony-dragon hybrid, who just ignored her while staring at his creation's efficiency at warfare. A malicious smile forming as he observed the Tiracian at work. This only infuriated the Changeling matriarch, as she exhaled in exasperation before saying, "Alright, fine! Let a TRUE ruler show you how to handle a subject!" She then flew on towards the fighting to quell it herself. Cozy Glow wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, but she also didn't want to lose her "friend" to a deranged murder-machine. So she flew in to help, much to Chrysalis' annoyance. "What do you think you're doing?! This is MY matter to deal with!"

"No, it's OUR matter to deal with!" Cozy corrected. "If we're really gonna work together to make T-...Lord Tirek's plan work, then we have to work together to get things done! And that includes letting your allies help you out, whether you think you need it or not." Chrysalis mulled over the fillies logic for a moment, until Cozy herself said, "And also, I can work as an excellent distraction while you morph into something that can take this thing down." That part actually appealed to the Changeling Queen, and she finally said, "Very well, if that's what you want. But don't get in my way while I try subduing the beast."

"Don't you mean we take it down?" The Storm King surprised the mares when he suddenly stood beside them. "Like the kid said, we're in this for the long haul. And besides," he nervously chuckled, "I have no intention of biting the big one again by betraying the big bad devil guy, himself. Plus, i'm plenty strong on my own, anyway, so......" Chrysalis groaned in immense exasperation. "Alright! Fine! Let's just get this done already!" The Tiracian Soldier apparently had the same feeling as her yelling got its attention while it was cutting down more shadow golems. It gave a growl reminiscent of a cinderblock scraping against a rocky surface as it glared at the trio. Surveying how great a threat they were to it as it began pacing side to side. Like a predator surveying its potential rival for territory. It finally gave a thundering roar, before firing dark beams from both of the hands it thrust forward afterwards after it literally had leaned in to threaten the group. "At least we got its attention." Cozy said to try and remain positive. The creature must have heard her, because its gaze fell upon her. And then, almost as if it were instinctual programming, its gaze became hostile, and it roared again as it turned its attention to the little filly. This did not go unnoticed, and its approach frightened her. "Uh, g-guys? I....think it realized there's a pony here, and it's going on "full exterminate" mode!"

Chrysalis understood immediately. "Of course!" When Storm King asked what she meant, she explained, "These monstrosities, according to Sombra and Tirek, are meant to be hunters: and their prey is ponykind. Now that the behemoth sees her, its genetic programming is in full gear. And now......" She didn't need to finish that as the Yeti got the memo. "Ah, crud! Guess we better do something now, if we're gonna do anything at all!" This lead Chrysalis herself to not only agree in silence, but also devise a plan. "I think I have an idea, Storm King. But in order for it to work, i'm going to need you to trust me as I needed to trust Tirek, and Cozy Glow. Can you do that?" Given he had only a few seconds to mull before the Tiracian was upon the filly, he said, "Given the circumstances, what choice is there, anyway?" Chrysalis rolled her eyes, and said, "I'll simply take that as a yes so we can proceed. Now, here's what you'll do......"

All the while, Cozy was now frantically, and desperately avoiding the swing of the soldiers mountainous fists (which to a pony her size might appear so big when in a panicked state of mind), as well as that damned energy sword, and dark blasts it kept firing. Thankfully, her smaller size gave her a speed advantage, and she managed to hold off the demonic horror. Unfortunately, someone her age wasn't full of that much stamina, and she began to grow tired. Her movements slowed as the minutes went on, until finally the Tiracian grabbed hold of her, and brought her to its helmet-like head as it gave that crocodilian growl as it had its quarry literally in hand. She looked into its searing, yellow eyes, sweating endless while smiling nervously as she whimpered, "Is it...too late to try, and be friends?" Her only answer was another roar that threatened to deafen her as it opened its jaws, and her growing horror, widened to swallow her whole.

She was going to be eaten alive! Not the way she would've wanted to go out. But at least she held out as long as she could.

But she would not become a meal to this atrocity thanks to the Storm King suddenly jumping on its back, and wrapping his arms around its neck. This surprised the beast into letting her go, and even with her confusion, give her time to realize she was being given a window of escape. She quickly took it, while leaving The Storm King to bear wrestle with the winged darkspawn to the best abilities. But even from where she stood, Cozy knew he didn't have much of a chance on his own. And though she hated admitting it, she was concerned for his safety. Until she noticed a cocky smirk on his face before he suddenly yelled, "NOW!". Out of a green flash appeared a humongous cockatrice that stood near the Tiracian's level. It didn't take much to figure this was Queen Chrysalis in her element. She looked to Storm King, and said, "Good work! Now direct his front to my sight, then jump away!" He did exactly as she said, and forced the beast to face the cockatrice, before letting go to join with Cozy Glow. Upon seeing Chrysalis, the Tiracian roared in rage as it perceived this creature as a threat, and challenge to its strength. Sadly for the soldier, strength was not the deciding factor of THIS fight. As soon as he saw her eyes glowing, Storm King picked up Cozy, told her to keep her eyes shut as he shielded her from sight, and waited as Chrysalis squawked in fury as she unleashed the power of her other form. In mere moments, the Tiracian began turning to stone from the feet up after it had made the mistake of meeting its opponents gaze. A final act of defiance had it try and swipe a claw at Chrysalis, just as the spell completely engulfed it.

Now, the Legion had a REAL gargoyle to put on their mountain lair's many perches.

Both Cozy, and Storm breathed a sigh of relief as Chrysalis reverted to her real form. She then flew over to them, and asked, "Are you both all right?" Though still a bit shaken, Cozy nodded in compliance. Storm King, meanwhile, had this to say. "I'm good. Though......I gotta admit, it was pretty touch and go for a minute there. I was afraid you might actually have turned me to stone along with that bulky lawn ornament." Chrysalis merely smirked at the Yeti before saying, "It's like we learned together at Mt. Everhoof about how we are stronger together than apart. That is the key to our survival, and the key to Dusk Shine's downfall." She then sneered. "Along with Starlight Glimmer, and that sniveling usurper, once I get my hooves on them!" Her ear then perked, before turning to her lavender log and exclaiming, "Now don't you start with me again! You know very well how much I hate those two especially! Heck, i'm half tempted to just make clones like I did of Dusk and his friends: but just use Starlight and Thorax as the templates! At least that way i'd have something to vent my frustrations on! Anything's better than just sitting around doing nothing - barring what just happened now, given it was......actually the best kind of fun i've had in ages, as only the thrill of combat can truly bring."

"Uh, Chrysalis?" Cozy inquired.

Changeling queen in question groaned before turning to the filly. "What is it now? Something ridiculously sweet to say to get on my nerves?"

"No, I-.......i just, well....." She moaned in irritation. "I hate how hard it is saying stuff like this! What i'm trying to say is ttttttttttthank you. And you, Stormy."

"Hey, that's not my-"

"You both literally had nothing to gain from saving me." She said, with a surprising air of sincerity. "I mean, I might be the smartest member of our team," she said, with Sombra in the back exclaiming "Arguably!" before continuing, "but i'm still just a filly with only my wits to call on. Golly," she sighed, "I don't even have ANY kind of powers that make me useful. I don't know what Grogar fully saw in me....same as Lord Tirek......but by all accounts, i'm dead weight. You probably wouldn't have lost much by letting that monster squash, or eat me." The villains looked to each other with some bewilderment, surprised to her their most overdramatic schemer talk like this. But that's just what made the next thing Chrysalis said all the more meaningful to the filly. "Except we WOULD have lost much if we let you die, Cozy Glow. Despite your......egh. Your over-dramatic method of manipulating others, you are an artist in the world of Deception. That's how you got The Prince of Friendship, and all his friends and students to trust you, isn't it? And it's how you were able to craft a spell that could drain the magic of the entire world in just three days! That is no small accomplishment - and.....this is coming from somepony who was able to fool those ponies twice on separate occasions, and nearly come out on top each time."

"I can definitely vouch for that!" Storm King happily said, before the raised eyebrows made him backtrack a bit. "Well, uh ...... okay, I admit that Tempest Shadow was the one who outsmarted the pegacornicusses to get me their magic, and took Equestria. But that just stems from MY plan, which it was to begin with!" He said defensively. "She was an extension of myself, who ensured my success. *chuckling* But I definitely played her for a sucker, that's for sure. And all it took was the promise of restoring her broken horn which only shoots magic lightning. That's what drew her to my interest, and convinced me to mold her into the perfect warrior for my regime!" He proudly proclaimed, before Cozy asked, "Could you have fixed her horn with the magic you stole from the alicorns?"

Storm King paused for a moment, thinking it over. "Mmmmmmaybe? I have no idea, to be honest. The only reason I was able to swipe that magic was because of the staff that used to be mine.....before it was STOLEN from me!" He snarled. "Maybe it could have, maybe it couldn't. Who knows? Her horn was beyond messed up, anyway, so there's no guarantee any amount of magic in the world could repair her. But why should I care, either way? She was just a means to an end, like all my other soldiers! Only good for getting me the power I deserve!" Chrysalis then chuckled in amusement before she said, "Seems that's where our common ground is. It's only a shame minions always fail you in the end. But," she paused, before giving a respectful smile to her cohorts, "having partners that you can actually relate to can be quite the boon."

"If it means taking out Prince Dusky, then i'm game." Storm admitted with a cocky smirk.

"Oh golly, does that sound fuuuun!" Cozy said with a disturbingly sinister tone as she said the last word, while smiling wickedly as she shared villainous laughter with her cohorts. Until a certain someone else in the room decided to put an end to this happy little bonding experience.

"What a pathetic display. And you dare call yourselves part of the forces of evil?" Sombra questioned in a disgusted tone, which drew the ire of the trio. "Hey, pal, just because we're having aaaa.........best partners bonding moment here doesn't mean YOU need to be a jerk about it!" Storm remarked, careful not to use the F word around Chrysalis, lest he risk setting her off. Sombra merely scoffed as he said, "And yet, that doesn't prevent you lot from being completely incompetent fools!"

"Incompetent?!" Chrysalis shouted in outrage. "How dare you speak to ME of such things, you shadowy hypocrite! Besides," she pointed her hoof to the petrified Tiracian still standing in place, "we were able to subdue your unnatural monstrosity before it could do anymore damage than it already has! Which is more than any of us can say for your oh so precious shadow gollums!"

"Come on now, guys." Cozy hovered in-between the three villains, trying to keep them at bay while attempting, and failing to maintain peace. "There's no need to get angry over a mistake. So the monster went bonkers, so what? We're still alright, and that's all that-"

"If I had any concern for you measly wretches, I would've done what I could have since the Tiracian began lashing out." Storm King then snickered. "And what's that: sit back, and watch more of those gollums get their heinies handed to them? Like any typical bad guy would doOOUGJGJFH!" Storm suddenly squelched as a black hand of shadow throttled him, with Sombra's expression being anything but amused. "Compare me to you weaklings again, and I will make my resignation official by squeezing every ounce of life in your lungs...while DROWNING in a prison of Nightmare Shadow." He said with a growl in his tone as more shadows began rising out of the ground, surrounding the trio in a caged circle of black smoke, while the Storm King still struggled to get out of his hold. "Unlike the three of you, I have power: power that I do not need to leech off of others to maintain - because hatred and fear ALWAYS exists somewhere in the world, no matter how great or small. The minds of the weak are putty in my hooves, and as such,", he then fired his magic at the Tiracian, and freed it from its encasement to the others horror - only to relax when they saw the green in its eyes make it settle before they returned to the natural yellow, and a wave of shadow teleported the beast to where it needed to be, "the Tiracians are like ants to me in their pure obedience with the right spell. Whether through my mastery over the mind, or through my darkness, the soldier was of no threat. You accomplished nothing, except proving you are the most worthless, pathetic pieces of coal I have ever-!"

Suddenly, he lurched over in agony as a piercing, screeching pain resounded in his mind. It caused him to lose focus, and break off his spell, calming the females, while The Storm King could finally breathe good and proper. He was just thankful he was a pillar of muscle, with a thick coat to support him, or that might have done him in. And while they were secretly glad he was fine, they were still curious about what was happening with Sombra. "Mr Sombra, sir? Are you okay?" The glow of his dark magic left his eyes as he finally stood up. He almost seemed like he was in a mesmerized state, while he sounded like he was going to regurgitate from a force dry heave. Finally, he was able to get his voice out, and ask for something that made the trio give each other perplexed looks. "Mirror. Find me a mirror." he said in a monotone voice. Chrysalis, the ever bold one, questioned the Umbrum by asking, "What's up with you, Sombra? First you act like a condescending pile of manure, then you look like you're having worse migraines than Shining Armor while I had him hypnotized, now your asking for-"

"I SAID GET ME A MIRROR! NOW!!!"

That roar actually startled the trio as Sombra's eyes ignited into burning embers, and the quills and hairs on his back stood up in a threatening manner. Same as when a pair of dragon wings popped out of his sides in what Cozy, and Chrysalis recognized as an intimidation display. Having just been on the receiving end of his abilities, none of the trio wanted to risk him actually using any on them, so the little filly provided the solution. "Okay, okay! Just don't eat us, your dark majesty!" She exclaimed in a half false-half sincere tone, before she started reaching into her curly locks. "Now, I know I had it in here somewhere.......aha! Got it!" And out came a hoof-held vanity mirror that seemed made of crystal as it were glass. Still, seeing it pull out of the filly's mane like a rabbit in a magician's hat perplexed the Yeti, and Changeling Queen. "Okay, how in all the powers that be did you hold that in your mane?!" The former asked in a shocked and perplexed tone, to which the filly merely shrugged, "Magic, I guess." This earning an audible facepalm from the Storm King who once again said aloud, "I am SO over the weird pony thing!" Before anything more could be said, Sombra grabbed the mirror, and snatched it out of the fillies hoof. Cozy, Chrysalis and The Storm King then watched as Sombra frantically glared at the mirror's surface. All of them questioning what this was all about. His back turned to them, and they were suddenly met with the grinning visage of their true leader.

"Lord Tirek!"

"So good of you to finally pick up the 'phone', Sombra." Tirek said in amusement, which infuriated Sombra to no end. "You do that to me again-"

"and i'll KILL YOU!" the Umbrum roared from the other end of the mirror. Tireks smile then fell, and took on one of more serious nature. "Well?" Sombra had no idea what he meant. "Well, what?" Tirek rolled his eyes, and asked, "Have you made any leeway with the production of the Tiracian Soldiers?" He saw the Qirin-esque unicorn give a somewhat shameful look as he said, "Not exactly. Perhaps a squadrons worth, or maybe even a platoon. But we're still forced to work at a simple pace to produce the exact number of Soldiers equal to each other. I need more time to work on them if we're going to have our army."

"How disappointing." Tirek said with a condescending shake of his head. "I'm surprised, your majesty, at how hard it apparently is for the genius who crafted such mighty beasts to be unable to manufacture them at a quick, and efficient pace." He smirked. "Or at least figure out HOW he can do it."

"Don't you talk that way to me!" Sombra hissed through the mirror.

"Events are progressing as I speak, either way." Tirek said, ignoring Sombra's remark. "That's why I want you to prepare. First," he said, expanding to see the trio behind the Umbrum, "I congratulate our esteemed comrades in finding the common ground to halt one of the rampant Tiracians." Noting their confusion on how he knew about that, he simply said, "I have my ways of seeing whatever I wish, whenever I wish. And despite this fools blustering, I commend the three of you for proving you indeed have the strength to put aside your differences, and work together as a unit, and succeed. Work on strengthening the bonds that tie you together, and you will have your revenge." The three were actually flattered by the centaur's confidence, and encouragement, and thanked him with briefly bowed heads.

A courtesy he returned to them in kind, before turning his attention to Sombra. "And while you continue your work, I will have them sent back to the Skull Fortress to keep an eye, and ear for "Grogar". We don't want him catching wind of our work just yet, after all. Subterfuge remains the key to absolute victory, and we cannot squander any opportunity presented. Nor can we afford to make any mistakes. Do you understand?" While the three nodded, Sombra merely glared at him, sparking his annoyance. "Well? Why are you still gawking? Return Cozy Glows mirror, then continue the production work until I bring further instruction. Remain on alert, and await my command."

Sombra's eyes widened with rage. "I DO NOT TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU, CONTRACT BE DAMNED!" Tirek finally had enough, and cut the link. He rubbed between his eyes while sighing with annoyance. That overinflated egomaniac was going to be a nuisance if he wasn't dealt with soon. That he would risk the wrath of The Unbreakable Oath's contract was proof of this. Sombra always was a wildcard.....and in Tireks line of planning, there was no room for wildcards. But that would have to wait another time. For now, it was time to focus on more important matters.

"Mirror, show me my enemies: let me see all that transpires with them so I may plan accordingly."

Dusk could hardly believe it when he saw it for himself five days ago.

One minute, his younger, yet now physically more matured dragon of a brother, Spike, had pretty much won the sibling rivalry event known to the Shine family as "Sibling Supreme" by not only playing both friend, and opponent alike like pieces on a chessboard: but using the unquestionable, tactical skill of Princess Luna herself to make it work. She was his inside mare, but he did the lion's share of the work securing the toy crown that was the "capture flag" of this entire operation. And both his brothers praised him for his craft, and assured him he'd earned the right to be crowned Sibling Supreme - forever!

Pinkie: "FOREVEEEEER!"

PINKIE, NOT NOW!

"EEP! Sorry, Kahnny! I'll just, uh.....i'll go back to the buckball tournament!"

Yeah, you do that - and no fourth wall jokes until later, got it?

"Got it, Mr. Kahnac, sir! *dons a soldier's helm, and salutes, before sliding out of sight with her hoof slowly following before sliding with her* Pinkie out!"

*sigh* Ahem. Now, anyway.....

What nopony, or dragon COULD have anticipated further was the untimely arrival of a worn, and badly bruised, and hurt pegasus stallion everypony but Dusk had believed was dead at the hooves of the nefarious King Sombra: Flash Sentry. He was immediately rushed to the medical wing of the castle, and put on observation as his wounds were cleaned, and the anesthetics were put into his body following his bandaging. That had been less than a week ago, and though Flash was stable, and slowly recovering, he had still not awakened. Medical, and magical scans indicated while his external injuries would heal, he had......extensive damage done internally. Almost as if somepony, or someone, had been either performing inhu-mane surgeries, or were using magics that damaged his internals. Either way, they would need to keep him under observation as they performed regular healing spells to speed up his recovery......though there was no way to tell if he would be alright if he pulled through.

The notion of him not making it is what frightened Dusk most of all.

But he kept his fears to himself, and put on a brave face for everypony. He had faith that Flash would pull through, and be as good as gold and better. He also assured his friends he would be okay, and asked them not to worry. That's why he was now seeing off Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie as they boarded the train for Ponyville. "Are you sure you don't want us to stay, Dusk?" Fluttershy asked concerned for her friend. "I know this is probably a stressful time for you right now, and you might need all of your friends to help you through it." Dusk chuckled in what sounded like gratitude before hugging the cream coated mare in an embrace of friendship. "I appreciate your concern, Fluttershy, but there's no need to worry. Flash is being taken care of while me, and my brothers help look after him. Spike just sent a letter back to the Crystal Empire letting Cadence know what's happened, and that he's decided to stay until Flash recovers."

"Say what you want about your brother, Dusk, but that sounds like he's as loyal to his troops as I am to you guys." Rainbow said with admission.

"Flash Sentry actually means alot to Shining, Rainbow." Dusk said. "He'd been grooming and training him to eventually become the Empire's Captain of the Royal Guard. Hopefully, that can still happen once he's back on his hooves." He said, with the last part being in a somber tone that Pinkie picked up on as she went over, and stretched the alicorn's frown into a forced smile. "Come on now, Dusky: no frowning unless you're drowning! Try and smile for a while! Flash'll get better, and when he does, i'll throw him the best "Happy Recovery" party he's ever had." Dusks 'smile' slumped into an unintendedly deeper frown before he rubbed his cheeks to get them back into comfortable sensation. "Also, when he does, can you ask him what kind of frosting he likes? Because I don't know if he'd like chocolate, or vanilla. What kind of chocolate do you think is his favorite? There's so many to choose from that it's hard to decide on one. Oh, and what about the Vanilla? The same applies for Vanilla, so there's that to consider! *GAAAASP* Unless he wants BOTH!" Her eyes sparkled with delight as she hopped up and down in place. "Chocolate AND Vanilla! One of the best combos ever! Unless he wants maybe lemon frosting, or strawberry, or cherry, or-" Dusks hoof finally shut the pink pony up when it was shoved into her mouth while he was smiling. "Pinkie, relax! I'm sure whatever he likes, he'll get to enjoy it on whatever party cake you end up making. I'll be sure to ask him what kind of frosting he likes for when you guys get back."

"Thank you, Dusky!" Pinkie exclaimed once her mouth was freed. "That'll make our win at the Appleloosan Buckball Tournament all the "sweeter" after we come back!" The train whistle, and the conductor informing all would-be passengers that the train was leaving made Dash feel a small sense of urgency. "That is IF we even get there! Come on: we have to go pick up Snails so we can head over to Appleloosa!" She then looked over to Dusk Shine who was still smiling, before sheepishly saying after realizing the spectacle she made of herself. "That is...unless you want our support, Dusk. You're more important than any old buckball tournament, anyway. And I don't wanna seem like you're not important." Dusk raised his hoof to stop her. "No, no, it's okay. You girls get going, now: those Appleloosans aren't going to beat themselves in the tournament, you know." He then looked around, and whispered, "Please don't tell AJ I said that."

"Don't worry, Dusky! We Pinkie Promise not to say a word! Right, girls?" Pinkie asked her two buckball partners and friends, who simply agreed. Fluttershy gave him one last goodbye hug, followed by an exaggerated one from Pinkie, while Rainbow gave him a hoof bump. "You just take care of yourself, okay? We'll be sure to bring back some souvenirs from the Buckball Museum. You know, since you like nerdy stuff." Rainbow joked, earning a light gasp, and laugh as Dusk punched Rainbow weakly in the shoulder. She, and the others laughed too, as she said, "Hey, come on! You know it's true - but that's why we love you, pal."

"Thank you, Dash." Dusk said, calming himself down. "And i'd appreciate that, too, considering how everyponies all abuzz about the Buckball season this year being held in Appleloosa. I know you'll do awesome, as you three always are." Rainbow puffed out her chest a bit in pride while Pinkie giggled in appreciation, and Fluttershy stroked her mane with a smile and blush. Then Dusk remembered, "Okay, no more stalling! Get on that train before it leaves! Otherwise you'll miss out on all the fun!" As soon as he said that, Pinkie made a wide-eyed, shocked expression before she suddenly, and without warning took Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy in both her arms, and zoomed into the passenger's cart of the train. And just in the nick of time, as the train was now on the move. The three waved goodbye to their friend, and soon friends as Applejack, Rarity and Spike soon came out, along with Shining Armor. All said their goodbyes, and wished good luck to the buckball team before they finally left. Now with that settled, he turned to see the aforementioned friends smiling at him. He was only slightly surprised. "How long have you all been there?"

"Long enough to say goodbye to the girls." Spike admitted, adjusting the toy crown on his head.

Dusk chuckled, "Are you still wearing that, Spike? Seriously?"

"Of course I am!" Spike said in a playfully defensive tone. "I waited years to earn this crown, and I am going to bask in my sibling supremacy for as long as I feel until boredom sets in." The others chuckled at his obvious joke, before Rarity went next to him with an alluring gaze and said, "Well, I think dear Spikey Wikey looks positively marvelous in anything he wears, darlings. Though nothing too grand, it has a certain air of.....regality to it that makes him give off the same feeling." Hearing this made the drake who was Shining Armor's size blush, and sheepishly smile. Though Applejack had her own opinion on the matter. "No offense, y'all, but a toy crown's still a toy crown, so ah don't rightly see the big deal besides what's been said before." Then she paused, and chuckled briefly. "Then again, ah always thought clothes and fashion weren't nothin' special, an' that nearly got Rarity in deep with them designer folks. So ah'm prob'ly not one to talk."

"I think Spike rocks the Sibling Supreme look." Shining said, bumping shoulders with the drake. "Easy to see why you were almost made ruler of the dragon lands, bro."

"Yeah, I guess." Spike said while still feeling sheepish. "But protecting my family's more important than ruling a nation like that, so I made the choice I thought was right." He then smiled brightly. "And it worked out perfectly since Ember's the Dragon Lord, now. I couldn't trust anyone with the role better than her."

"~Right." Shining said cheekily. "Then maybe when you get older, you can do whatever dragons do that equates to dating, then marrying, and then rule alongside Ember. Dragon Lord Spike. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" He chuckled a little louder this time, making Spike's face flush bright as he used his wings as a shield. "Shining, cut it out!" He whined.

"But you gotta admit it's true, or at least possible!" The unicorn joked again, making his brother more embarrassed than before. Seeing enough, Dusk cleared his throat and said, "Alright, Shining, I think the rule of three's passed by already. Quit embarrassing your younger brother." Shining put on a fake pout. "But you're less fun to poke fun at than before, Dusky!" He said in a fake tone of an upset foal. "You've been getting less "Shiney-nana's" than you used to be!"

"That's because i've matured more than I did before." Dusk smirked. "The future ruler has to learn not to let little things get to him all the time. So you'll definitely see less "Dusking" or "Dusk Shining" or whatever that stupid verb the girls made up call it." This earned laughs from the girls, and actually got Spike to simmer down with the focus drawn away. And for Shining Armor to chuckle pleasantly as he said, "And I gotta admit, you do seem to be on the road to getting there, bro. Just keep working on it," He then gave an earnest smile as he put his hoof to Dusk's chest, "and you'll be a great King." Dusk was emotionally struck with that statement, and he embraced his brother in a gratuitous embrace that lasted for at least over a minute before they split. "Thanks, Shiny. Coming from you, that means alot."

"That's what big brothers are for, Dusky." Shining said as he stroked his brothers mane two times before setting his hoof down. But then, his smile went away as he thought of another thing that was not wanted. "I just wish I could do more for Flash, though. He risked so much just to keep my kingdom, and my family safe from Sombra, and-" he paused, taking a moment to breath deep, and exhale, "and in the end, I gave up on the idea of him being alive." He sincerely smiled to Dusk. "I'm happy you at least didn't give up, Dusk. Turns out you were right all along. I'm sorry I doubted you." He brought the purple alicorn in for a one-armed hug, and nuzzled the side of his younger brother's head, before letting go and saying, "You are amazing, Dusky, and nothing will ever change that."

Unfortunately, despite his friends agreeing, and offering supportive words to their friend, Dusk couldn't help but feel bad about something. "Doesn't really matter since I wasn't even the one who found him in the first place.

Lord Tirek felt a sense of amusement from the Prince's apparent lack of self-esteem. He could tell that the sudden return of Flash Sentry weighed on his mind, and it was affecting him on a personal level. Something the centaur found amusing. "Poor little Dusk. You care for the young guard, don't you?" He asked aloud to noone in particular. "And your failure to recover him has brought you down, hasn't it? Well, do not worry, my little pony: soon your failure will be the least of your concerns." Unfortunately, this reminded him of his Tiracian situation. As it happens, Sombra was not producing results with those infernal beasts as quickly as he wanted. Perhaps it was time to take matters into his own hands. With his newfound dark magic, Tirek opened a portal to The Shadow Pit, and walked through.

In the holding pins, Sombra was observing his creations with curiosity, and frustration. Despite his best work, he couldn't replicate the Tiracians as quickly as he needed. And Lord Tirek was sure to come down on him for this. He growled in his frustration, saying aloud, "Lackadaisical centaur. He expects results in such a short time. He doesn't understand that progress takes time."

"Then perhaps you could make better progress instead of wasting time with research." Tirek said, with his arms behind his back.

King Sombra jumped in surprise, before turning around to see TIrek, and relaxed a bit. "Don't scare me like that." he said.

Tirek ignored the hybrid umbrum, and looked upon his demonic warriors with pride. "Well done, Sombra. I am at least pleased that you have managed to produce the soldiers I so desired. And having witnessed how one was able to hold its own against Storm King, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow - as well as your living shadows - I can honestly say that these will be the perfect engines of destruction."

Sombra huffed as he said, "Yes, the Tiracians are impressive.....but that's to be expected. Especially when pitting them against those three weaklings."

Tirek turned to Sombra with an annoyed look. "Those three "weaklings" were able to use their skills as villains to overcome a difficult opponent, and win the day. What's more, Chrysalis proved her cunning prowess in the heat of battle. Something that I can come to admire."

"Feh! She's not so hot."

"She's hot enough to replace you, if I so choose."

"Replace me?!" Sombra exclaimed. "Never!"

Tirek then turned back to his monsters, and said, "That time might come sooner than you think, if you cannot produce results quickly enough, Sombra. Remember this: your skills are valuable - not irreplaceable."

Sombra growled a little bit, before he hunched his shoulders in despondent feelings. "Progress takes time, my lord. And time is something I need if I am to produce our army. I mean, it's not like we have some magical source capable of cloning things at will."

"Actually, that is precisely what we have."

Both Tirek, and Sombra were surprised to hear that someone was in the room with them. Both turned around to see who was behind them, activating their magical aura's to prepare for battle, if necessary. Tirek demanded the individual show themselves, or else. A low chuckle, and the sound of footsteps indicated the figure was approaching the two. But when the figure stepped out of the shadows, both were surprised by who it was that stepped forth.

But soon surprise turned into joy for Lord Tirek as he said, "Ah, Professor! How wonderful to see you again!"

"Indeed, Lord Tirek." The human said with a bow. "And it does my mechanical heart good to see you revitalized. That miniscule form you were in was most unsuitable for one such as you."

"On that, we can both agree."

Sombra quickly cleared his throat to gain attention, before asking, "And who might this creature be?"

"Ah, yes. Where are my manners? Professor N. Shroud, at your service." the human said with a short bow. "Scientist extraordinaire, and wicked cyborg human."

"Human?" Sombra asked. "I heard of that species, but never saw them in person. I thought humans couldn't exist in this world because the magic of Equestria converts them into ponies immediately upon arriving. How can you be here in your original form?"

"Whoever said this was my original form?" N. Shroud asked with a coy smile as he flexed his clawed hands, before raising his hands to his head, and literally unscrewing it from his body. Much to King Sombra's shock, and Tirek's amusement. "True, I was a human, then a pony respectively: but then I built this cybernetic body based on my human form, and placed my brain inside it. I was just so attached to my human form, I had to reconstruct it. So i built this vessel to aid me in my endeavors of what many would call "Mad science". I can even channel my mind's magical essence through my hands to use as I see fit. I was a unicorn before I transferred into my new body."

Sombra said nothing, as he was taken aback by N. Shroud's story as the scientist screwed his head back on. While he may have done questionable things in his life, he would never go so far as to take his own brain, and put it in a cybernetic body. It just seemed too unnatural. Seeing his shocked expression, Tirek continued by saying, "I encountered N. Shroud some time after I escaped Tartarus for the first time. He was experimenting on ponies and other creatures to create powerful cyborgs. He was simply testing the limits of his scientific mind. He saw me as a 'kindred spirit' and took me in for a time until I regained my lost strength. We've been allies ever since." Tirek then turned to N. Shroud. "I take it this means my dear pet has made contact with you?"

"Oh, Dismay has done that," N. Shroud said, before turning to his left, "and much more."

Suddenly, the sound of leathery wings could be heard flapping in the air. The next thing anyone knew, Dismay flew in, carrying a familiar pony with a pink mane, wearing some kind of hat. They dropped her down in front of N. Shroud, who then grabbed her by the back of the neck, and lifted her up to reveal....

"Pinkie Pie?" Sombra said, coming out of his shock. "How did you get ahold of her?"

"Whoever said this was Pinkie Pie?" N. Shroud asked. "I've been monitoring the ponies for a long time. And I also have a built in scanner that detects magic, and magical sources. That's how I know that this isn't the real Pinkie Pie: but a very convincing, Magical Clone made from a powerful, mystic source: The Mirror Pool."

"The mirror pool, you say?" Tirek asked. "Excellent."

"And just what is this....mirror pool supposed to be?" Sombra asked.

"Is that all you can do, Sombra? Ask stupid questions?" Dismay asked as they landed beside N. Shroud. "I've also spent my time among the ponies, and I heard tales of The Mirror Pool. It's a magical, hidden lake with the power to create copies of whoever steps inside it."

"A lake that can clone any living thing?" Sombra questioned. "Sounds too good to be true."

"Except this pony clone is proof that it exists." N. Shroud said. "Think of it: with the Mirror Pool's power, you could end the problem you've been having producing your impressive Tiracian army. In mere hours, the army you so desire will be completed, Lord TIrek. And Equestria will be ours for the taking."

"Ours?" Tirek inquired. "I take it this means you are willing to join The Legion, my cybernetic friend?"

"Indeed I am." N. Shroud smiled with his razor sharp teeth. "And, as it happens, I also have something very special to offer in exchange for my services. Observe." He then pulled out some kind of remote, and pushed a single button. Upon doing so, the room began to shake, and tremor with immense force. Something big was entering the chamber, and its growls were echoing throughout the halls. When the beast appeared, its very appearance impressed Lord Tirek.

"My latest experiment involving minotaurs, Lord Tirek." N. Shroud said. "I call it the Cybertaurian. Perfect for close, and long ranged combat should there be a need for such things. Which, of course, there will be. They are just as strong, and just as durable as any Tiracian in your menagerie. And I can assure you that they will be absolutely loyal to a fault."

"Truly a unique miracle of science, Professor." Tirek said while clapping his hands. "Well done. Consider yourself part of our growing army. Now, there is just one more thing I require from you, and that little hostage you and Dismay have brought me."

"Of course: The Mirror Pool." Dismay said with delight. "First off, we'll need to go near Ponyville to find this place."

Without wasting a beat, Tirek opened a portal to the wooded area of Ponyville. Then the group looked to the squirming pony still in N. Shroud's grasp. Once the Pinkie Clone realized the villains were looking at her with malicious expressions, she started to sweat beads and chuckled fearfully before saying, "Fun?"

The four villains, and the six Tiracian soldiers soon began making their way through a forest thick with brambles. While the trek itself was easy, moving through the brambles proved to be most irritating. It was especially getting annoying for Sombra, who was forced to walk instead of fly. "This is ridiculous!" Sombra exclaimed while pushing a bramble aside. "Are we even sure this is the right way to the Mirror Pool?"

"According to our little pink friend here, we are." N. Shroud said, squeezing his hand around the clone's neck. "Isn't that right, my little pony?"

"Yeah, it is!" Pinkie Clone cried out. "Where the brambles are thickest, there you will find
A pond beyond the most twisted of vines."

"Well, we certainly found where the brambles are thickest." Dismay said. "Be that as it may, how will we know the entrance to the Mirror Pool when we find it?"

"We found it."

Upon hearing what Lord Tirek said, the villains all gathered around him to see a cave entrance going downward. They smiled deviously as they realized that this was the place the were looking for. All of them went inside, and were slightly impressed by what they were seeing. There, at the bottom of a pathway leading to a massive cavern, there was a large pond in the center. Its surface was so brought, and shiny that one would indeed mistake this for a mirror. Once they were in front of it, Sombra was the first to ask, "How does this work?"

"Mystical sources such as this require some manner of spell or incantation to activate it." Tirek answered, before turning to the Pinkie Clone. "And I have a feeling our little pink friend knows. Don't you, my dear?"

"Uh......" the clone said, sweating in fear again as she wondered if she should tell them anything. The growing pressure around her neck reminded her of her situation, and she relented. "Okay, okay, i'll tell you! If you wanna make more of yourselves, all you have to do is step up to the pool......"

Tirek raised a hand to silence her, before ordering his Tiracians to do as the pony said, which they did, and then telling her to explain further.

"look directly into it......"

Again, the Tiracians followed their master's instructions perfectly - even the Cybertaurian.

"Then say, "And into her own reflection she stared,
Yearning for one whose reflection she shared,
And solemnly sweared not to be scared
At the prospect of being doubly mared."

Suddenly, something extraordinary happened: the mirror pool shined brightly, and then the Tiracians pulled out exact duplicates of themselves from the pool. Everyone but Tirek was stunned by this magical phenomena. The centaur simply laughed with triumphant joy as he observed his creatures replicating themselves. "At last! Now, my plans escalate as my army can now expand to the highest level of power imaginable!"

"Great! Glad to be of some help." Pinkie clone nervously said. "So, uh....can I go now, please? I have this big party to get to, and-"

"Oh, no, my little clone." Tirek said as he menacingly approached the clone. "You have done me a great service today. I couldn't possibly let you leave without rewarding you for your service." Suddenly, his horns ignited with malevolent, purple magic, and he fired a beam directly at the clone - reducing her to atoms. Tirek again laughed in delight, as did N. Shroud and Dismay. The only one not laughing was Sombra. "That was rather wasteful, don't you think? Now, we'll need to acquire the real pinkie pie so that we can use the Mirror Pool."

"No, we don't, fool." Tirek said in annoyance. "Dismay: do you have the incantation memorized?"

"With ease, master." They said, before reciting the last two sentences of the rhyme while the Tiracians stood before it. Once again, they pulled out exact copies of themselves, and then repeated the cycle again, and again, and again. There were soon dozens of Tiracians filling the chamber, much to Lord Tirek's delight. N. Shroud, himself, couldn't help but take some pleasure in what was happening. "The Tiracians are a fine specimen, to be sure. But once we have the right numbers on our side, I can't imagine anyone being able to stop us."

"Indeed." Tirek answered. "And their numbers are now limitless. At last, we have our army."

"But what of Grogar?" Sombra asked. "If he should learn of this, he might take it as a sign we are trying to usurp him, and stop us."

"Let him learn of what transpired here." Tirek said in an amused tone. "It does not matter. With the power of our army, and once we unlock the Bewitching Bell's power, ALL shall be made......to kneel."

to be continued.

Author's Note

"I'm back, bitches!" Vegeta, TFS.

And I apologize for keeping you all waiting for so long. As I said in my recent blog, stuff got in the way, and I lost my interest in the MLP series......somewhat. However, recently, i've been getting my interest back up, and it inspired me enough to finish this chapter, which i've had waiting for a long time.

I know the episode was originally about Quibble Pants and his family-to-be, but it had nothing to do with the main plot of the season's story. It was simply fun filler as many of the other episodes are. So I wanted to focus back on the villains, and how the new Trio of Storm King, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow find some common ground with one another - by surviving a feral Tiracian. However, I can't exactly write an episode length chapter since I don't know how to, so i'm hoping this chapter length is enough.

And I hope you all both enjoy this chapter, and can forgive me for my long absence. Hopefully, I can get back into this series enough to make some more progress. Until next time, my friends.:)