Dragonfire 🐲 Enter The Dragon Hero 🐲

by Phantom-Dragon

Mission Rogue Diamond Part 4: The Smooze-Apocalypse

"That's it every one," Applejack directed, "Get into the train, quickly!"

"Every pony stay calm," Fluttershy added. "Nice and quietly, please," Then, Fluttershy came towards some animals that were out in the field, as she held her saddlebag open. "Okay little ones. It's not safe for the moment, so I'd really appreciate it if you could get in, quick," The woodland creatures looked to each other, unsure of Fluttershy's words. "It's okay, there's plenty of room for everyone."

"Sweetie Belle?" Rarity called, as she frantically searches the town for her sister. "Has any pony seen Sweetie Belle?"

"Scootaloo!" Rainbow called. "Where are you?"

In the meantime, three certain teenage girls were sneaking their way through the crowds.

"Of all the bad timing there is to getting the Dragonfire, it had to be this?!" Adagio snarled.

"I'll say!" Sonata grumbled. "I was going to celebrate the capture of the Dragonfire, on Taco Tuesday!"

The other two simply rolled their eyes, in annoyance at their third comrade, "Let's just focus on saving our hides first, and then we can consider getting the Dragonfire, later!" Adagio said at the last part, through a gritted teeth.

---

Meanwhile

Bloodshot was running like he's never run before, until he made it to a small cottage. Or what was left of it.

"Aqua?!" Bloodshot called, as he ran into the house, seeing it's been ransacked. "Crystal? Where are you girls?"

A loud groan escaped, to which Blood moved some rubbles out of the way, to reveal a young woman, who has a light blue hair that goes down to the waist. Her attire is a turquoise sundress and matching sandals.

"Aqua!" Bloodshot gasped, as he held the woman up. "What happened, sis? Who did this?!"

"Shadowbolts," Aqua groaned. "They've left a message...." Aqua pointed to a message written on the wall that reads: "Your daughter will pay the price for failure."

Bloodshot's eyes narrowed, as his mouth emitted a snarl. Just then, the ground started to shake violently, as Blood helps his sister up, and the two ran out to see a huge tidal wave of purple slime.

---

Ponyville

"Fire one!" Pinkie shouted, as she blasted a random pony out of her cannon, and into Canterlot. "Fire two!" She fired another.

"You sure this is safe?" a nervous stallion asked.

"Sure I'm sure!" Pinkie smiled, as she dons a helmet on the stallion. "Cross my heart and hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in my eye!"

"Okay," the stallion gulped as he gets into the barrel.

"Let'er rip boys!" Pinkie called to the Knights.

Rumble quickly took out a match, and flicked it across Derpy Hoove's flank, catching her by surprise, "Fire in the hole!" Button shouted, as he and the boys lit the cannon.

"WAIT!!!" Too late, the stallion was shot out of the cannon, screaming, and flying towards Canterlot.

---

Canterlot

Blueblood was out, on a bench, fuming.

"Oh, the indignity," Blueblood scowled. "Me! The suave, talented, courageous, and above all, incredibly handsome Prince Vlad Blueblood, outshine by a shapeshifting reptilic freak, who I'm regrettably related to by adoption!"

Just then, a unicorn mare came running up to a unicorn stallion, "Trender!" the mare shouted. "Trender! Darling! What do we do?"

"I don't know dearest," the stallion named Trender replied uneasily. "I just hope Princess Twilight, Prince Spike, and their teams of heroes can save all of us from the Smooze, and Nightmare Moon!"

"Oh puh-lease!" Blueblood grumbled. "They couldn't even rescue a cat out of a tree!"

"And like you can do better?" Trenderhoof scowled.

"Naturally," Blueblood grinned arrogantly.

"A yeah, that'll be the day," the mare frowned. "When earth ponies learn how to fly."

And just like that, a whole herd of earth ponies came falling out of the sky, courtesy of Pinkie's cannon, and they all landed on Prince Blueblood.

---

"Welp, guess today's his lucky day then!" Discord remarked, watching the whole scene through his eyes turned binocular.

---

Meanwhile

After a long mile of flying, Prince Celestia had arrived at Flutter Valley, or what was left of it.

"What!!" Celestia exclaimed, as she begins to survey the ruins of the once beautiful valley, puzzled to see it all dank, and gloomy. "What happened here?!" Celestia whispered, looking down to see several small miniature pony-like creatures with skinny limbs, long antenna, mane, tail, and translucent wings, all lying on the ground.

"Little Breezies!" Celestia gasped, as she bent down, and carefully picked a few off the ground. "What happened here?" The even littler pony-like creatures spoke in a foreign language to the princess, who nodded in understanding, before her eyes widened in horror, "No! It can't be!"

Desperate, Celestia flapped her wings, as she flew up to the tower in the valley, and her fear was confirmed, "The Sun Stone! It's gone!"

"Princess....." a tiny, weak voice called, to which Celestia turned to see a blue breezie with pink mane and tail, and a very dark jacket.

"Seabreeze!" Celestia gasped, as she gently picked up the wounded breezie. "What happened?! Who did this to you? Where's the Sun Stone?"

---

Ponyville

"Is that every pony?" Twilight asked, looking to Spike, who was going over a long list.

"Yeah, that's every po-" Then, without warning, Spike's eyes began to glow white, as he finds himself in a trance.

At the same time, Pinkie's body started to shake and shudder, "My Pinkie senses are tingling!" she chirped.

In his vision, Spike sees a crystal in the shape of a tree, Zecora, Starlight Glimmer, and Sunset Shimmer.

"We forgot three more!" Spike shouted.

"Who?" Twilight asked.

---

Later

Spike, accompanied by Gilda, Gabby, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Peewee, were racing to the rescue in the Everfree Forest, searching for their unicorn and zebra friend.

"You sure it was Sunset, Starlight, and Zecora you just saw?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure!" Spike replied. "It's hard to explain, but I saw them. Well, them, and some strange crystal tree. I think that's where they are."

"The Tree of Harmony!" Twilight exclaimed.

"What?" Spike looked at the alicorn. "You know it?"

"Know it?" Twilight repeated. "We're actually chosen by it! It's the resting place of the Elements of Harmony!"

"The resting place? I thought you said those things were destroyed when you gave them up."

"No. We gave them up to the tree, to replenish its magic. But they were never gone."

"So then, where is the tree? BWAH!!!" Spike yelled, as he quickly screeches to a halt, almost running off the cliff, and into a chasm below. "Too close for comfort," Spike panted heavily, while beating his chest.

"Look before you leap, y'know," Gabby chirped.

"Sunset?" Twilight called. "Zecora? Where are you?"

"Down here!" Sunset's voice rang, as the heroes looked down to see the fiery headed unicorn, standing at the mouth of a cave.

"Sunset!" Rainbow exclaimed, as she zips down to meet the fiery unicorn. "What are you doing here?! Didn't you see what's going on?!"

"I know, Dash," Sunset replied, while showing her hoof to show the dark mark burning her skin. "I didn't need a weather forecast to tell me what the Shadowbolts are doing."

"That goes double for me, as well," Starlight spoke, making herself known. "And to answer your other question, we're here because Zecora told us we need the Elements."

Everyone looked in the cave, seeing Zecora struggling to get the final element, at the top of the tree.

"Zecora!" Twilight exclaimed, as she disappeared in a flash, and reappeared close to the zebra. "What are you doing?"

Zecora, taken by surprise, nearly fell off, before she was safely caught by Sunset and Starlight.

"Have you gone mad?!" Zecora exclaimed angrily.

"We should be asking you the same thing!" Rainbow replied. "We're about to be drowned by a giant slime monster, and you're just in here, harvesting the Elements of Harmony from the tree they came from!"

"But Dash!" Sunset spoke. "Zecora has a plan to save everyone and stop the Smooze!"

"You do?!" everyone asked, eagerly.

"Not quite," Zecora replied. "The Smooze is indeed a plight. But there's still a chance to fight!" Zecora got back up, and climbs up the Tree. "From my vision, I see the fulfillment for this mission. The Elements of Harmony are a necessity," Zecora reached up for the last element, which Twilight aided via magic. "Now we must make haste! There's no time to waste!"

"Uh, too late for that, Ms. Zebra Teacher Lady!" Gilda called from the cave. "That Smooze thing's already here!!"

"Oh no!" the friends yelled, as they quickly beat their feet, and hightailed out of the cave, just when a flood of purple slime fell over a cliff, and covered the entrance.

The ponies, griffons, and boy looked up in horror, seeing an tentacle-like appendage forming, followed by what appeared to be a mouth that cracked into a wicked grin.

"Bad day," Spike moaned.

"RUN!!!" Starlight screamed, as she and Sunset quickly galloped, with the rest of the friends following.

In response, the Smooze lunged forward in a torrent of slimes, narrowly catching the heroes, who escaped it by running up a set of stairs on the cliffs. Forming a part of its slimes into a hand, which it used to throw a punch at the heroes. In defense, Twilight quickly conjured a protective bubble around herself and her friends. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as the impact made from the Smooze, resulted in a landslide, on the unstable cliff which they stood on.

Rainbow Dash, Gabby, and Gilda took flight, as the beat their wings hard. Zecora almost fell into the monster's slimy mass, had Sunset not been quick enough to save the zebra, by surrounding her hoof in her magic aura. Starlight stopped her climb, as she concentrated into her magic and fired an offensive spell at the Smooze, which did nothing.

"That was my strongest attack!" Starlight exclaimed.

"This is a tragic," Zecora added. "The Smooze can resist magic!"

"Now you tell us," Starlight grumbled. Then, after another splat of slime, the friends resumed their run as they hurried out of the chasm.

Spike was running with Twilight at his side, when the stairs started to gave way, and Twilight tripped on her hooves, and almost fell off.

"Twilight!" Spike shouted, as he quickly grabs the alicorn by her wing, as he pulls her back up. While doing this, the Smooze makes a quick lurch after Spike and Twilight, only for the Dragon Prince to quickly wave his cape, over himself, and the alicorn princess, miraculously shielding themselves from the monster's slime.

The Smooze suddenly noticed Rainbow Dash, and the two griffons flying overhead. With that, the monster hurled several balls of slimes in the air.

"Head's up!" Rainbow screamed, as she and the griffon flew out to dodge the missile. Unfortunately, the ball exploded into tiny fragments of the creature's slime.

"Yikes!" Rainbow exclaimed, as she and the griffons flapped their wings, avoiding the Smooze's flying slimes, while a few landed on their cheeks, tails, and wings.

The three flyers quickly moved out of range, while Spike and the other girls climbed out of the chasm, where they took a moment to to catch their breath.

"I thought our geese were cooked for sure," Spike panted.

"Same here," Sunset added.

Just then, another violent tremor shook, as the heroes looked, seeing the Smooze rising from the chasm, and letting out a bellowing roar.

"Break's over!" Spike spoke quickly. "Running now!" With that, the heroes all took off running, through the branches of the Everfree Forest, with the monster close behind.

The Smooze hurled several globs of slimes after its preys, all the while burying surrounding trees, and when suddenly, a giant bear, with starry purple furs appeared out of nowhere, and roared.

"An ursa major!!" Twilight screamed.

"Ursa major?" Spike asked. "As in the constellation?"

"That, and this monster that's fighting the Smooze?" Sunset's fear turned confused, when the giant bear stomped its paws into the Smooze beneath it.

In retaliation, the Smooze slithered itself around the giant bear's arm, as it fought back, completely forgetting its preys. The heroes stopped running, as they turned to see the two gargantuan beasts going all out with each other. The Smooze snaked around the Ursa Major in an attempt to suffocate the huge beast, only for the Ursa Major to claw, and bite, its way free. The Smooze then took the form of a giant, beast-like creature, rearing up, before it brought itself down on the Ursa Major, who rolled on its back, in an attempt to shake the Smooze off as it started to revert back to its liquid form, smothering the giant bear, that continues to scratch, and bit the slime monster off.

"Whoa, what a fight!" Spike exclaimed.

"I'm betting some bits on the giant bear to take out the blob!" Gilda said.

"And I'm betting our life that we can get out, before we get squashed by those two!" Rainbow replied, as the heroes quickly took their leave from the Everfree Forest.

However, their departure didn't go unnoticed, as the Smooze started to throw several more of its slimes at the escaping heroes, splattering over some trees in the way, along with the house of Ponyville.

"Whoa Nelly!!" Applejack exclaimed, dodging some of the incoming slimes.

"Yes?" a certain mare called.

"WHOA NELLY!!!" Button exclaimed.

"It's a Smoozenami!!" Pipsqueak screamed.

"It's a Smoozeapocalypse!!" Tender Taps cried.

"It's a Smooze-a-gaddon!!" Featherweight added.

"This is going to be a close one!" Rumble cringed, as the Knights watched their friends running after them.

Suddenly, a blob of the Smooze fell, and landed on Sunset, getting her stuck.

"SUNSET!!!" Spike and Twilight shouted, as they and the others screeched to a stop.

"Help!" Sunset cried, struggling to break free from the Smooze's slime. "I'm stuck!"

With that, the friends all raced back to aid their friend.

"C'mon!" Pipsqueak shouted. "We gotta help!"

With that, the smaller boy jumped off the platform, with the Knights following.

"What the devil?!" Celaeno exclaimed. "Oy, you boys get back here!! Boys!" The Knights didn't listen, as they continue to run off for their pal. Fleur was about to leap in, when she noticed a bright glow from the case that contains the Armor's pieces. Before long, the Helmet of Wisdom, the Sword of Honor, and Boots of Courage were flown out, and headed straight towards the Knights.

The Helmet dons itself on Button Mash, the Sword of Honor flew into Rumble's hands, while the Boots latched themselves onto Pipsqueak.

"Whoa," Pipsqueak exclaimed. "Me! The wearer of the Boots of Courage!"

"Looks good on you, Pip," Rumble replied. "Now let's go and save our pal!"

Meanwhile, Spike and Twilight were helping pull Sunset free from the gunk that fell on her, when they noticed some more slime balls flying towards them, and the Smooze appeared, as a huge tidal wave.

Sunset tried to fire a protection spell for herself, and her friends, but the Smooze's magic-resistant slime had already covered the fiery unicorn's horn, she was unable to conjure a single spark.

Twilight and Spike both stood defensively over the trapped unicorn, projecting a magic shield, and holding their cape over, respectively. Starlight soon joined in, conjoining Twilight's magic shield with her own.

The Knights soon arrived on the scene, just as the Smooze crashes down on the heroes.

"NO!!!" Fleur screamed, holding her hoof out, refusing to believe what she was seeing.

Fluttershy held her hooves over her mouth, "Please, no!" she whimpered.

"Darling...." Rarity muttered.

The Smooze, believing to have captured its prey, turned its attention at the remaining heroes, who all got into fighting stances.

Then, Pinkie felt another sensation, urging her to look up, "Look!" she shouted, pointing to a spot, that was glowing in a shimmering golden aura.

Everyone looked in anticipation, along with a bewildered Smooze. Then, in a burst of gold light, there stood the Knights, Spike, and the girls, surrounded in a golden aura, with the three pieces glowing, together with Spike's cape, being held by his hands, that were glowing with his mother's cutie mark.

"They're alive!!" Pinkie shouted happily.

"Yay!" Fluttershy started quietly before she loudly cheered. "YAAAYY!!!"

With an an agitated shutter, the Smooze made another lunge towards the surviving heroes, only to be struck by a flaming comet. The Smooze shook itself, before it turns to see Peewee, flapping his wings as he came in for another dive, and collided in another flaming impact with the slime monster, who aimlessly swatted its appendages after the bird.

"Now's our chance!" Spike said, as the others started taking their leave, while helping Sunset on her hooves.

Suddenly, one of the Smooze's slime formed into another slimy appendage, stopping the heroes in their tracks. Just before the Smooze's appendage could be brought down on the heroes, an explosive spell offense was shot, blasting the appendage apart. The friends looked, seeing Fleur, firing several offensive shots at the Smooze, holding its slimy tentacles at bay, together with Celaeno, who was slashing her blade, cutting the slimes away.

"Hurry mon ami!" Fleur shouted. " Get out while you can!"

With that, Spike and the others all started running across the Smooze's slimes, while fighting off the monster's slimes that were attempting to recapture the heroes. Spike reached into his cape, and pulls out a long katana, which he used to slash a way through the Smooze. Twilight fired several blasting spell beams at the Smooze, while projecting some occasional shields to save herself and the heroes from the monstrous slimes. A giant hand was formed beneath the heroes, snatching them up, only for it to be exploded by a combined magic explosive by Twilight, Sunset, and Starlight. Before they could escape, more tentacle-like appendages sprouted around the escaping heroes.

"Darlings, I'm coming!" Rarity shouted, as she conjured up some diamond shaped shields in her hands, which she used to block the Smooze's slimes, protecting herself, Fleur, and Celaeno.

"Hold on, Spike!" Trixie shouted, as she took out her wand. "Trixie will save you!" With that, Trixie waved her wand, and conjured several giant cards, which she used both to shield herself, and to fight back. "Prepare to be dazzled, by the Great and Powerful Trixie!" Trixie shouted, as she conjured several clouds, and fired several thunderbolts at the Smooze.

"C'mon, Mina!" Ember spoke to the red dragon. "Let's show this Smooze thing what we dragons are made of!"

With that, Ember took out an arrow, and lit its tip with her fire, before she fired it at the Smooze, exploding upon impact. Mina in the meantime, flew around the Smooze, distracting it by breathing more flames on the beast, melting a few chunks away.

Having enough, the Smooze spins itself into a huge tornado, sucking everyone in, before it blows them away.

"Looks like we've made it mad!" Button groaned, as he struggles to hold on tight to his helmet.

"You think?" Rumble asked, before he was blown back, while still holding onto his sword.

"It's no use!" Twilight said grimly. "Even with all our efforts, we can't stop it!"

Spike looked to the sky, "Mom!" he spoke. "Now would be a good time for you to come with the Breezies now."

"Change of plan," Celestia spoke, before she appeared in a bright flash of light. "We're all going to Canterlot, now!" With that, the sun princess's eyes glowed, as everyone were all surrounded in her aura, before the vanished, in a flash of light, leaving an angry Smooze behind, as it erupted several more slimes at having its preys escaped.

---

Canterlot

In another flash of light, the heroes, together with Celestia, reappeared in the center of Canterlot, scared, but relieved.

"Oh man," Spike breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought we were goners for sure."

"Oui," Fleur groaned, as she laid her head close to Spike's shoulder.

"Well, at least we're all together," Applejack said, trying to brighten up the mood.

"Just barely," Dash replied, as she collapsed on the floor, with Gilda, and Gabby. "That was the most intense wipeout I've ever had."

"No kidding," Gilda added.

"Now I know how a milk kinda feels when it's being shaken," Gabby added.

The Knights meanwhile, snapped out of their tired states, when they took notice of the new location they were in.

"Wow," Button gasped. "Boys, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

"What is this place?" Featherweight asked, while taking some pictures.

"This would be Canterlot," Spike replied. "The crowned capital of Equestria!"

"And our first home, before Ponyville!" Twilight smiled, as she joined in. "It's also the place, where our stories begin."

"Fascinating," Pipsqueak replied.

"Omigosh! I can't believe it!" Trixie exclaimed, as she excitedly zips around Canterlot, taking close looks at the area's settings. "This is so breathtaking!" Trixie squealed. "It's even more majestic than what I've been told! There's so many places I can check out in here!"

Starlight couldn't help but chuckle, as she walks over to the enthusiastic girl, "Calm down, Trixie," she said, enveloping the girl in her aura. "Remember, we just escaped from slimy doom. Let's just find someplace to rest for a bit."

"Oh sure, of course," Trixie replied. "Can we get booked for one of those five-star hotels you've told me about? You know, the ones with all those fancy room services, and spas?!"

As the two left, the group could only shake their head in disbelief.

"Wow, that Trixie is quite the enthusiast," Ember noted.

"Yeah," Applejack began glumly. "But when she's an illusionist."

"She's just a loudmouth," Rainbow grumbled.

"Most unpleasant," Rarity added.

"All hat and no cattle," Applejack added.

Meanwhile, Spike went over to Princess Celestia, "Mom! What happened?" he asked. "Where are the Breezies? What happened to whole, 'getting reinforcements' and everything?"

"There's been a complication, Spike," Celestia replied. "The Breezies were already attacked by the Shadowbolts. And their Sun Stone has been stolen."

"What? What's a sun stone?"

"Not a Sun Stone, Spike," Celestia explained. "The Sun Stone. It was very important. It's how the Breezies get their powers to defeat the Smooze," While explaining, Celestia conjured an image of a large gemstone.

"Ooh," Rarity marveled. "How marvelous!"

"That's the Sun Stone?" Spike's eyes widened on realization, "Hang on! I've seen that stone before! In one of my dreams!"

"What?!" everyone exclaimed.

"You've seen this thing?" Rainbow asked.

"What? When? How?" Twilight asked.

"Spike!" Celestia began. "Is this true?"

"Well, yes," Spike replied uneasily. "But I swear, I had no idea it would lead to something like this. I thought it was just a dream. All of it. I didn't know what kind of dreams they really are. I'm sorry."

Applejack, knowing how to detect a lie, senses the truth in the young prince, "It's alright, Sugarcube," she spoke. "Ya just didn't know."

"Applejack is right," Celestia joined. "You still haven't learned your powers fully, yet," Celestia's expression turned serious as she spoke, "Now tell me, Spike. What else did you see in your dreams?"

"Well," Spike scratched his head, as he tries to recall. "I don't know. It's been awhile."

"Relax, Spike," Celestia spoke gently. "Concentrate. Think."

Spike complied, as he recalls what he saw in his vision.

"And that's it," Spike replied. "The stone was gone, just like that," the boy looked down, feeling like a complete failure, "And now, it's all my fault."

"Oh, darling," Rarity said, as she walked over and placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder.

"Now's not the time to beat yourself up, Spike," Rainbow joined in.

"Still, it doesn't help the fact that the Shadowbolts got the Sun Stone," Applejack spoke, before she turned to Princess Celestia. "So, what do we do now, your majesty?"

Celestia, after closing her eyes for a moment to think, opened up, "It's clear now," Celestia began. "If we are ever to save our home from the this slimy abomination, we must retrieve the Sun Stone, and give powers to the Breezies once more to stop it."

"Except there's just one small problem, your highness," Ember began. "We have no idea where they are! The Fucanglong Box isn't telling us anything, let alone reveal one of the last armor's pieces the Shadowbolts got their hands on!"

"Ember's right, Princess Celestia," Twilight spoke. "Not even the map could tell us where they are! They could be anywhere!"

"Where in the world are they?" Pinkie asked.

Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer both scratched their chin, before they looked to each other, "Maybe we've been looking in the wrong places!" Sunset spoke in realization.

"What?" their friends asked.

"Well, think about it," Starlight spoke. "And as much as I hate to admit it, but we Shadowbolts are known for our cunning, and our methods of getting places that are well guarded. And to do that, we had to come up with some sort of 'red herring' to do so."

"You use a fish to get into places?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"No, Pinkie," Twilight explained. "It's an expression. It means to use something to steer our attention away from something that's very important."

"Exactly!" Sunset spoke. "Right now, the Shadowbolts had unleashed the Smooze on us, so that we'd be too busy fighting it, rather than them!"

"In the meantime," Starlight began, while Twilight had an epiphany.

"They would just wait out, and attack us when we least expect it!" Twilight realized.

"Bingo!" Sunset and Starlight said together. "Jinx!"

"But that doesn't answer where they could be," Rainbow spoke.

"Actually, it does," Celestia spoke. "As I've mentioned before, the Smooze is a monster capable of destroying our world. And obviously, the Shadowbolts wouldn't want to be caught in its path of destruction. And the only safe places for them to avoid the Smooze, would be in high places, like the mountains."

"Or the sky," Rainbow added.

Pinkie then had an epiphany, "Or maybe, up there!!!" she pointed to the sky.

Just faintly, everyone all spotted a faint apparition of a certain white ball, floating in outer space.

"The moon!" Spike gasped.

Comments

[OmniFox]

It's not like Spike will blow up the moon causing the waters to flood Equestria.

[Wildcard25]

Things are definitely getting crazier now

[Onyx the hybrid]

8474866
Rumble quickly took out a match, and flicked it across Derpy Hoove's flank, catching her by surprise, "Fire in the hole!" Button shouted, as he and the boys lit the cannon.

"WAIT!!!" Too late, the stallion was shot out of the cannon, screaming, and flying towards Canterlot.

Penguins of Madagascar and
FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!