The spaceship landed on the Abbey lawn, and Tasque stepped out of it. Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst rushed forward to meet them.

"I'm so glad you made it back safely!" Pearl exclaimed.

"I see you've decided to fuse with each other again," Garnet said.

Tasque nodded their head. "Yeah. We're planning to stay fused throughout the battle."

Major Perigord came up. "Did you spot the vermin?"

"Sure did," Tasque said grimly. "It seems Damug was successful in creating his hybrids. He's made about fifty of 'em."

"What do they look like?" Amethyst asked.

"They look pretty much like regular rats, except they've all got gemstones. At the rate they were moving, I'd guess they'll reach Redwall this evening."

Perigord looked at the Gems. "Do you think we'll be able to bubble them, like we did the Flower Monsters?"

"I don't know," Pearl said. "Creatures like this have never existed before. We don't know any more about them than you do."

"Well, we'll just have to put up the best fight we can," Garnet said.

"I'm with you there," said Amethyst. "As long as I've got my whip in my hand, I won't be driven back a single pace!"

"Aye, that's the spirit," said the Major. "No surrender, no retreat!"

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Evening shades were drawing close when Damug and his army were finally within sight of Redwall Abbey. Damug peered around a broad oak tree, staring at the north wall. It looked so real; he could hardly believe it was a hologram. Concealed in the woods, his soldiers awaited orders.

A hushed whistle escaped Damug's lips. "So that's Redwall Abbey. Come on, let's rip 'em apart an' take the place." He turned to the first hybrid soldier he had created, whom he had designated "Ramethyst Prime." "You know what to do. Take your Gems and charge that wall."

"Yes, my Diamond," said Ramethyst Prime.

Damug frowned. "My name's not Diamond. It's Damug. Damug Warfang!"

Ramethyst looked confused. "You created us, didn't you? That makes ya our Diamond. 'Diamond' is the title given to all Gem rulers."

"Oh." A sinister smile broke across Damug's features. "Well, I suppose I could get used to that. Now, charge that wall, an' we'll all be takin' supper in Redwall Abbey tonight!"

The hybrid Gems burst out from the trees and raced toward the Abbey at breakneck speed, screaming and howling. Damug and the other vermin hung back in the woods, watching them.

On the other side of the wall, all the defenders had weapons at the ready. A group of slingthrowers, led by Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst, was perched on top of the construction scaffold. "Steady in the ranks there," Garnet muttered. "Don't fire until I give the order."

She peered over the top of the holo-wall, watching the hideous pack draw closer. "Okay. Front rank, let 'em have it. Now!"

Slings whirled and a battering rain of stone struck the hybrids. Tasque saw the look of shock on the face of one, who resembled a Ruby, as a round weighty pebble struck her on the forehead. The creature toppled backward with a screech.

But this attack only slowed the hybrids down slightly. The ones that were hit got right back up and kept charging. Soon they had reached the base of the wall.

Ramethyst Prime took out a rope, which had a grappling hook attached at one end. She hurled it into the air. The grapnel buried itself in the top of the half-built wall, narrowly missing Arven's head in the process. Other hybrids started throwing more grapnels up at the wall.

Arven shook his head. "So that's their game. Climbin' up the ropes to get in here."

"Well, we won't give them the chance," Pearl said. She brought her sword down on the rope closest to her. Some of the ememy had already started climbing it; they fell to the ground and became encased in bubbles.

Joshy Stag Hare pointed down at the bubbles. "You see that? These things are beatable!"

The Abbey defenders cut the rest of the ropes, sending more hybrids falling to the ground and bubbling them. Seeing this, the remaining hybrids fell back, retreating into the woods.

Tasque was delirious with joy. "We've done it! We've beaten them back, wot!"

"I'm afraid it's not going to be that simple," Major Perigord said wearily. "If I know Damug, he won't give up so easily. Doubtless he'll come up with another plan to get inside the Abbey."

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Damug was furious with his creations. "Slimesloppin', mudsuckin' cowards! Call yourselves warriors? I wouldn't leave any of you in charge of a Dibbuns' spring outin'! Get back out there and climb that wall this instant!"

"My Diamond, we did the best we could, but look what they're doing to us!" said one of the Ramethysts- not Ramethyst Prime, she had already been bubbled. "They're trapping us inside bubbles!"

"Without me, none of you would exist," Damug snarled. "I made you, and I can break you if you don't obey me. If we fight tooth and claw with all of our might, we can defeat the Redwallers!"

"Huh, that's easy for you to say," said a hybrid who resembled a Peridot. "I don't see you doing any attacking. You're just hiding in the woods like a clod."

In a fit of rage, Damug took his sword and smashed her gemstone, killing her. "Who's the clod now?" he shouted. He started laughing manically.

But after a few moments he calmed down. He was already formulating a plan. "All right," he said. "Well, we may not have conquered the Abbey yet, but we've still got 'em surrounded. They can't escape. We've tried hooks an' grapnels, an' they didn't work. But 'ow about making a great 'eap o' soil 'n' earth? The Redwallers won't be able to cut that with their swords! We'll wait till it gets dark, then we'll make a big pile of soil, gravel, clay, stones, and turf. If we all work together, we can have a pile high enough to reach the top of the wall by morning. We won't be takin' supper in Redwall tonight after all, but if you do as I say, we'll be able to have breakfast there tomorrow!"