Julian brought Matthias and his friends to a hollow oak tree. "This is where Captain Snow lives. Well, I'm off now. I don't want to talk to him."

"I think you should make up with your friend," said Pinkie Pie. "You'd be a lot happier."

"Yes, carryin' a grudge ain't the done sort o' thing, wot?" said Joshy.

"Never! Only if he were to admit he was in the wrong and apologize to me." The cat stormed off.

Matthias peered up at the hole in the tree. "Do you think he's inside?"

"Probably, unless he's out huntin'," said Joshy.

"I'll fly you up on my back," said Twilight. She carried him up to a high branch.

Matthias went and looked into the owl's nest, where he found no owl, but all manner of skulls lining the walls- shrew, mouse, vole, even rat.

An unearthly screech shattered the air. Captain Snow swooped down from the sky and grabbed Matthias in his talons.

"Put him down!" Twilight yelled. She flew into the owl's path and shot a blast of purple light out of her horn to scare him.

"Who!" Captain Snow dropped Matthias on the ground. Luckily Pinkie was there to catch him. "Who, who, who goes there? State your name, rank, and brand of cereal."

"I am Matthias of Redwall, and these are my friends, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Joshy Stag Hare." Joshy waved.

"I'm acquainted with Joshy already," said Snow. "But why have you all come here? Did that stuffy old cat send you?"

"We need information about a snake," said Matthias boldly.

Captain Snow raised his huge eyebrows. "There's only one snake in these parts. What could you possibly want with Asmodeus?"

"I have to fight him," said Matthias. "He has something that belongs to my Abbey, an ancient sword, sir."

The owl let out a hysterical screeching laugh. "Hoohoohoo! Did I hear you say that you'd fight Asmodeus? A little mouse like you?"

"He won't be alone," Twilight said resolutely. "He'll have us to help him."

Captain Snow laughed even harder. "Hoohoohoo! The four of you together wouldn't be a match for that adder! He has magic in his eyes that could freeze you like statues."

"Ha, I'll bet you couldn't fight Asmodeus!" Pinkie yelled challengingly.

"That's one bet you'd win," said Snow. "I wouldn't want to try to. The snake and I would probably both end up dead."

"Well, the four of us will jolly well fight Asmodeus, an' we'll blinkin' well win, too!" Joshy hollered.

"Bet you anything you won't."

"Anything?" Twilight said slyly.

"Who, who! I'll bet anything, whatever you say, horse."

"So, if we defeat Asmodeus, will you promise to stop eating mice and shrews?" Matthias asked.

Again, the owl had difficulty in controlling his unbridled hilarity. "Hoohoohoo! I'll do you one better. I'll give up eating rodents of any type! I'll even admit I was wrong to that grass munching cat. I'll apologize to him on bended knees! Hoohoohoo!"

"On your word as a Captain?" Twilight pressed.

"Yes, I swear on my word as a Captain. But I won't have to keep it, because you won't win. Nobeast stands a chance against Asmodeus, not even an alicorn!"

"We'll see about that," said Matthias. "Now tell us where Asmodeus lives."

"In the old sandstone quarry," the owl replied. "You'll have to cross the bridge over the river. There are caves in the quarry, passages too. Explore them. You won't find Asmodeus until you are least expecting him. By then it will be too late. You'll be deader than a bunch of icicles in Hellgates! Hoohoohoo!" And he flew off.

"What a jerk," Matthias muttered.

"He's a mean meanie pants," said Pinkie.

"Good thing most owls aren't like him, wot," said Joshy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cluny and Darkclaw had already crossed the bridge and were headed into the quarry now.

"Maybe we should wait till it's light, Chief," Darkclaw ventured.

Cluny hit him with his tail. "You coward. We can't wait or Matthias will get the sword ahead of us!"

He headed into a tunnel and Darkclaw followed. "Keep your eyes peeled for the sword, Darkclaw."

There was no answer. Cluny turned around and saw Asmodeus behind him, and Darkclaw's tail was disappearing into the snake's mouth!

"Sos kinds of you to drops ins for dinners, rats," said Asmodeus. "You haves poor judgements, buts I's bets you have excellent tastes."

He took a big gulp and finished swallowing Darkclaw, leaving a big rat shaped bulge in his stomach. Then he grabbed Cluny in his jaws.

But Cluny was not called the Scourge for nothing. He swung his mighty tail, and it hit Asmodeus in the eye. The snake hissed in pain as he dropped Cluny on the ground, giving the rat time to scramble over his coils and out of the cave.

Cluny took off like a bat out of Tartarus. He was lucky to be alive. He realized that he had finally met a creature who was stronger than him.

"Still, if I can't kill him, a mouse can't either," he said to himself. "At least I'll be rid of Matthias one way or another."

Back in his cave, Asmodeus realized he couldn't see out of the eye Cluny had hit him in. He would be blind in one eye now, just like Cluny.