Fluttershy, Joshy, Luna, and Rainbow Dash arrived back at Redwall at dawn. Rainbow Dash could see the spires of the red stone building rising into the sky. It was the first time she'd ever seen this inspiring sight. She wished she wasn't in pain so she could appreciate it more fully.
"You hanging in there, Dashie?" Fluttershy asked her.
"Yeah, it takes more than a little sapling to crush this Pegasus," Rainbow responded. She tried to sit up on the stretcher, which Joshy was propelling through the air by means of his wand, but she sank back down with a groan.
"Poor Rainbow Dash. I hope the mice at the Abbey can help her and Luna," Fluttershy said to Joshy.
The hare winked. "Nothin' to worry about, old gel. I've never seen a beast our Sister Withe can't heal. They'll both be up an' flyin' in no time, wot!"
Just then he saw that the gate was open. "I say, that's not good. Has that been unlocked all night?"
"We didn't leave it open," said Fluttershy. "We flew over the walls, remember?"
"So somebeast must've come along an' opened it."
They all went inside the gate. Abbess Meriam and Bryony were standing on the grounds with some other creatures. "Veil is gone!" Bryony cried.
"What?" Fluttershy squeaked.
"I saw him arguing with himself in the Infirmary. Then he broke a window and jumped outside."
"Oh no!" Fluttershy said. "This is terrible! It's just been one disaster after another!"
Sister Withe sniffed. "If you ask me, it's a good thing that ferret's gone. I didn't like the look of him."
"But there's something you don't know about Veil," Fluttershy said. "Sometimes, he turns into, well…"
"He turns into a well?" Joshy gasped.
"What? No, no, he turns into his father."
"Okay, cause I ain't never heard of anybeast turnin' into a well."
"I've never heard of anybeast turning into their father either," said Bryony. "What does that even mean?"
"Remember when we went back in time with Veil?" Fluttershy said to Joshy. "It turns out he didn't really die in the past. Instead, he became his own father and had himself as a son."
"Y'mean Swartt Sixclaw an' Veil Sixclaw were the same beast all along?"
"Yes, and now he keeps switching back and forth between his personalities."
"Why did you not tell us this before?" the Abbess demanded.
"Well, you were supposed to be watching him," Luna shot back, leaping off of her stretcher. "You let him get away!"
The Abbess held up her paw. "Arguing won't get us anywhere. Skipper and his otters are out searching Mossflower for Veil. In the meantime, I can see that you are injured. You must come up to the Infirmary for treatment."
Reluctantly, Luna followed Sister Withe to the Infirmary. Two mice carried Rainbow Dash's stretcher behind them.
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Swartt was running through Mossflower Woods when he bumped into Clogg. "Argh ye matey," said Clogg. "Decided to come back after desertin' a comrade on the field o' battle, eh?" he added sarcastically.
"I dunno what you're talkin' about, bo," Swartt snapped. "One minute I was on da ship wit' you, da next t'ing I know I'm inside da Infoirmary at Redwall Abbey!"
Clogg grabbed him. "You actually managed to get inside the Abbey?"
"Dat's right, which is more'n you've done. How'd ya get dat bump on ya head?"
Clogg let go of Swartt. "I was fighting Nightmare Moon!" he said as he puffed out his chest.
"Nightmare Moon?" Swartt repeated. During their voyage, Clogg had gone on for hours about how someday he was going to get revenge on that "stinking screw-tailed sorrel" for sinking his old ship. "Well, did ya finally croak her?"
"Well, I came pretty close." Clogg quickly changed the subject. "If you found Redwall Abbey, you'd better lead me there, bucko!"
"Okay," Swartt said. "Soon as we get dis job done, we can go our separate ways."
