The Apples and Swifteyes arrived at Princess Twilight Sparkle's castle. Applejack knocked on the door with her hoof.

An owl answered the door. This owl's name was Nutclaw. He had been born at Redwall Abbey, but he had moved up to Equestria, just like the Swifteye family. Now he worked as Twilight's secretary. "Hmm, mm. Is that you, Applejack?"

"Who else would it be?" Applejack answered. "We need to talk ta Twilight. We spotted some foxes on the edge of our apple farm!"

"Oh my, that sounds serious. Foxes are nasty beasts. Do come in. I think Twilight is in the library with her friend Starlight Glimmer."

They all followed Nutclaw inside.

Twilight and Starlight were indeed in the library, just as Nutclaw had said. Twilight looked up from the book she was reading as her friends came in. "Hi, Applejack. What's up?"

"There's vermin afoot in Equestria, foxes," Applejack panted. "Ah only caught a quick glimpse of 'em mahself, but they looked kinda like that Urgan Nagru beast we met in the Pride Lands that one time. Remember him?" (See my story MARIEL OF PONYVILLE 2.)

"They weren't just any foxes, marm," said Janglur. "They were Marlfoxes."

Twilight frowned. "Marlfoxes? I've never heard of them."

"It's said they have magical powers. They can make theirselves invisible and stuff," Janglur said.

"Two of them tried to carry off me and Apple Bloom," Song added. "And they had big sharp axes!"

"Well, that's not good," Starlight Glimmer said.

Applejack looked at Twilight. "Yew shore there ain't nothin' in yer books about Marlfoxes?"

"No, not as far as I know."

Grandma Ellayo cleared her throat. "I've heard a couple o' tales concernin' Marlfoxes. I don't know much about 'em, but I know some."

"Well, tell us what you do know about them," Twilight said. "Nutclaw, get a quill and some paper so you can take this down."

The owl obeyed, and Ellayo launched into her story. "When I was a maid, young as Song here, my father told me of a secret island at the center of a great lake somewhere. Foxes had discovered the island and claimed it for their own- of course, that was after the lake monster was slain and the white ghost left the island."

Starlight cut in on the narrative. "Excuse me, what lake monster and what white ghost?"

Ellayo sniffed at her irritably. "How should I know? I'm just telling you what was told to me. Can you remember everything from your early seasons?"

"Well, yes, as a matter of fact I can," said Starlight. "I have an impeccable memory."

Ellayo's words had reminded Twilight of something. "I think I heard a story about a lake monster and a white ghost on an island once. I'm not sure, but I think Rainbow Dash was the one who told me about it. Anyway, go on with your story, Ellayo. Sorry for the interruptions."

Ellayo resumed. "Where was I? Oh yes! My father said that a tribe of foxes, with water rats to serve them, took over the island and built a big castle there. Then the story went that there was a war. Y'see, most of the tribe were ordinary red foxes such as you might see any day in Mossflower, save for two, a male an' a vixen, who were Marlfoxes. Their fur was silver white, and they claimed to have magical powers. Anyhow, the two Marlfoxes got the water rats on their side an' wiped out the other foxes, slew 'em all. Then nothin' more was heard of, or from, that island. My husband Gawjo was a real adventurer an' a great wanderer, an' one day he went off in search of the Marlfoxes' island. I never saw him again. I was left t'bring up Janglur all by myself. We became wanderers, always hopin' we'd find Gawjo again someday, but we never did."

"Oh, that's terrible!" said Twilight. "Bringing up your child alone, always searching for your lost husband. It must have been a hard life."

"Well, I ain't one to complain," said the old squirrel. "We've had some good times together, Jang and me. Anyway, one winter, when Janglur was still only a liddle un, we were camped in a hole on a streambank, with nought to eat but a few roots an' late berries an' a fire to warm ourselves by. Then one night a young kingfisher, half alive an' freezin', crawled out o' the stream an' up the bank to our dugout hole. Pore liddle bird, I took him in an' shared our fire an' wot vittles we had. This kingfisher told me he'd come from the great lake. He lived on the island an' was fishin' off it when he was set on by a bunch o' magpies that worked for the Marlfoxes. They chased him far, an' left the liddle bird fer dead in the lake shallows. But he wasn't dead, y'see, an' one way or tother he managed to get away an' survive. I tell ye true, I owed me 'n' Janglur's lives to that kingfisher. When he got well an' could fly again, he brought food to us all winter long. At night we'd all three of us sit together by the fire to keep warm, an' he told me wot he knew of the island, said it was ruled by one Marlfox now, a murderous vixen callin' 'erself Queen Silth. The kingfisher said that she had a brood of seven Marlfox cubs an' she slew her mate 'cos he wanted to call 'imself king. So then, wot d'yer think o' that?"

"Yikes!" said Twilight. "So, with the queen and her seven children, that's eight magical Marlfoxes to worry about."

"Well, maybe they're not all here in Ponyville," said Song. "We only saw two."

"Even two is trouble," said her grandmother. "Those Marlfoxes steal anything they can get their paws on, and they also capture creatures to make into slaves. They mark 'em and brand 'em and bob off their tails."

Apple Bloom clasped her own tail protectively between her hooves. "They cut off animals' tails? That's horrible!"

"Good thing they didn't manage to capture us," Song said.

"Well, we'll have to organize scouting patrols around the edge of town to make sure these Marlfoxes don't try to sneak in," said Twilight. "I'll talk to Rainbow Dash about that. And I can also ask her about the white ghost and the lake monster again."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ascrod and Vannan had returned to the Marlfox campsite in the midst of the Everfree Forest. Their two oldest siblings, Mokkan and Zira, were waiting for them, along with their army of rats. Mokkan, the self-appointed leader of the group, was sitting at a fire eating some trout, but he stood up when he saw his brother and sister coming. "Did you manage to bring back any hostages?" he asked them.

Ascrod shook his head. "I almost captured a young earth pony from a farm, but her family intervened."

Mokkan curled his lip scornfully. "Blitherin' oaf! You made a right mess of our plan. Now the ponies are sure to know we're about!"

"Hey, don't blame us," said Vannan. "I don't think you could have done any better."

Zira pointed at the bruise on Ascrod's nose. "How'd you get that?"

"A squirrel threw an apple at me," Ascrod muttered sullenly.

"I didn't know squirrels lived in Equestria," Zira said.

"I think she must have moved here from Mossflower," said Ascrod. "I saw a couple of other squirrels too; they must have been her family. It looked like they were helping the pony farmers harvest apples. Anyway, they'll get back more when they gave me when I start on them. I'll slay that whole squirrel family, and the pony family they work for!"

Mokkan shook his head in disbelief. "You don't understand, stupid. We came to steal, not to start a war. Where's the profit in that? See, for the moment we're robbers, not killers. Haven't you got it into that thick skull of yours? Our mother, High Queen Silth, must be surrounded by beauty. Rich, wonderful things, that's what we need to bring back to the island. You two had one job: kidnap a filly or colt! Those ponies value their children above everything else. If we capture one of them, they'll be willing to give us anything in order to get him or her back." He sighed. "I hope Gelltor and Predak had more success than you did."

Just then, Gelltor and Predak appeared, sailing down the river on their stolen raft. The other Marlfoxes came to the edge of the riverbank to greet them. "Hello," Predak called.

"Where'd you get that boat?" Zira wanted to know.

"We stole it off a troupe of actors from Mossflower," Gelltor said. "And we captured this little mousebabe, too." He held up Dwopple, who was tied up with ropes.

The mousebabe struggled in the fox's arms. "Lemme go, you rotten fossker!"

"What good will he do us?" Mokkan demanded. "He's a mouse, not a pony. I told you to bring back ponies!"

"I think we can still use him as a hostage," said Predak. "His actor friends told us they were heading to Ponyville to do a show. Maybe the ponies will be willing to pay a ransom for this mouse, even though he's not one of their own."

"Hmm," said Mokkan. "Well, it's better than nothing, I suppose. Ascrod and Vannan didn't manage to bring back anybeast at all."

Gelltor and Predak got off the raft. Gelltor set Dwopple on the ground, and a group of rats gathered around him to guard him. All the Marlfoxes sat down around the campfire.

Gelltor slumped against a tree. "Aarh! I don't see the sense to this."

"To what?" asked Vannan.

"Trampin' round the woodlands just to rob stuff to please our crazy old mother. It's daft!"

"I don't know how our sister Lantur can stand being around her all the time," Zira agreed.

Ascrod spoke up. "Listen, we're really storing up these valuables for ourselves. Remember, one day our mother will be dead- maybe sooner than we think, considering her age. When that day comes, we will rule the island together. Castle Marl, everything, will be all ours!"

Zira chuckled. "When the time comes, I want the blue bowl!"

Mokkan stood up. "No, I want the bowl. I always liked it best, anyway. You can have those silver forks and spoons."

"Those forks and spoons were meant for me," Predak said, getting to her feet too. "You can have the breakfast China and the paintings. A few of the paintings, anyway, because I want most of them."

"Well, I want some paintings too," said Gelltor. "And the breakfast China, and the tablecloth. So ye'll have to be satisfied with the mantle clock. Oh, and I want that big suit of armor in the downstairs hall."

"Oh, no you don't!" Ascrod shouted as he jumped up from his seat. "That's mine!"

"Stop all this arguing!" said Vannan. "You are all acting like a bunch of raccoons with rabies! I say let the future look after itself. For now, we need to concentrate on plundering Ponyville."

The tension eased. They all sat back down. "Our sister is right," Mokkan said. "We must focus on the task at hand." But privately he was thinking, "There're seven of us, counting Lantur back at home. We'll never be able to share all that wealth, not without killing each other off. We're Marlfoxes, born to stealth and deceit. Only one of us can rule the island." He was determined that it would be him.