It was evening when Mokkan reached the spot where the river emptied into the lake where the island was located. "We'll stop here for the night and sail for home first thing tomorrow morning," he said to the rats.

They were setting up camp on the shore when they saw Athrak the magpie flying toward them. Mokkan called, "Athrak, what are you doing away from Marlfox Island?"

"It's not Marlfox Island anymore," Athrak said sadly. "It's the New Pridelands now."

"What are you talking about?" Mokkan demanded.

"A ghost lion named Scar came out of nowhere. He killed your mother and sister and took over the island. And he sent me and my birds away, and replaced us with a bunch of vultures."

Mokkan was blindsided by this news, but he didn't appear to let it upset him. "Well, don't worry, this Scar won't be around for long. I've got an amulet now that gives me magical powers. I was already planning on killing my mother when I got home, so now I can destroy this ghost instead. When it comes to slaughtering people, I'm very flexible! Ha!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twilight, Song and the others followed the underground river until it led out of the cave. By the time they finally made their way out into the open, it was dark.

"So, what do we do now?" said Apple Bloom. "How are we gonna reach the island without a boat?"

"I don't know," said Twilight.

Suddenly an osprey emerged from a bush. It was Mighty Megraw! He raised his beak and called, "O'er here. They're sair bedraggled an' stinky tae, but they're o're here!"

Rainbow Dash came flying over the bushes, and this time, it was the real Rainbow Dash. When she landed, Scootaloo rushed at her and threw her arms about her. They both fell over in a joyful laughing heap.

"Dashie!"

"Hahaha! So here you guys are!" said Rainbow Dash. "I'd just about given up hope of ever seeing you again!"

A big female hedgehog came out of the bushes and hauled Scootaloo off of Rainbow Dash. "No time for that now, missy," she said. "Let's get 'em out o' here. Thou canst introduce us when we're downriver. Whew! An' downwind of 'em, too. They smell pretty ripe!"

"Sorry about the smell," said Twilight. "I think it must have come from all the fungus in the cave we were in."

"Wait, who is she?" said Song, pointing at the hedgehog.

Rainbow smiled. "I know you'll never believe this, Song, but she's your aunt!"

"My aunt?" Song repeated.

"Yeah, your aunt Torrab. It's a long story. I'll tell you as we walk."

They set off, trotting steadily through the night shadowed woodlands. "So, your grandpa, Gawjo, was a prisoner on the Marlfoxes' island in the secret lake for many seasons," Rainbow Dash began.

Joshy snapped his fingers. "Gawjo! That's the name of the squirrel I was talkin' to! Now I remember!"

"Anyway, he managed to escape," Rainbow went on. "Says he's the only beast who ever did. When he made it back to the mainland, he was completely lost. Then he stumbled upon Torrab and her band of friends, fourteen in all, half grown young hedgehogs from three different families. Their parents had been killed by Marlfoxes. Gawjo had lost his family too- he didn't know where Ellayo and little Janglur had got to."

"So 'e became our dad," said Torrab. "And he's lived with us ever since."

"Does that mean he's still alive?" Song asked.

"He sure is," said Torrab. "And we're taking thee to see him right now."

Burble looked apprehensively at Megraw. "Is that big fish eagle part of your family too?"

Rainbow Dash winked. "Nah, I just happened to bump into him. His name's Mighty Megraw. You'll like him once you get to know him."

"Ah yiss yiss, I'm sure I will, 'tis a fine powerful bird he is," Burble said nervously. "We'll have t'keep him well fed though, yiss yiss, I'd hate t'be around when that feller feels hungry!"

They came to a house. Torrab stood in front of the door and curtseyed. "Prithee, come ye in an' welcome."

When they went in, they found thirteen more hedgehogs, an old squirrel, and an owl sitting around a table. When the old squirrel saw Song, his weathered face broke into a smile. He stood up to greet her.

"So, you're my granddaughter," he said. "Rainbow Dash has told me a great deal about you."

Song came to him and embraced him. "And my Grandma Ellayo told me all about you, but I never thought I'd see you in the flesh!" Then she noticed his tail was gone. "Oh! What happened to your tail?"

"The foxes cut it off," he said bitterly. "It's what they do to all their slaves."

"I can't imagine anybeast treating another creature so horribly," Sweetie Belle said.

Gawjo shook his fist. "Someday I'll go back to that island an' free all the rest of the slaves. In the meantime, I've been taking care of these hedgehogs. Huh, a squirrel dad with fourteen hedgehog sons an' daughters, who'd believe it. The trouble I 'ad rearin' 'em was nobeast's business. Still, I got me a pretty young granddaughter now, so things are lookin' up."

"Is that owl your daughter too?" Ocellus asked.

The owl at the table laughed. "No, I'm just a friend. My name's Nutbeak."

"I know your brother!" Twilight said excitedly. "Nutclaw talks about you all the time."

"Does he really?" said Nutbeak. "What's he doing right now?"

Twilight's face darkened. "Right now, he's a baby, because a Marlfox stole the Alicorn Amulet and used it to turn him into one."

"Rainbow Dash told us you were hunting a Marlfox," said Gawjo. "And Megraw here just told us about how Marlfox Island has been taken over by a ghost lion named Scar!"

Twilight gasped. "Scar?"

"I see you know the name," Gawjo said. "He's killed Queen Silth and declared himself the new king."

"We faced him once in the Pride Lands," Twilight said. "I never thought we'd have to face him again."

"For me it will be the third time," Joshy said sadly. "I don't suppose there's any chance he an' Mokkan will simultaneously destroy one another, is there?"

"That'd be nice, but there's a world of difference between what we'd like an' what we get," said Gawjo. "So, it seems we've got two problems. We've got to get rid of this ghost, and we've got to get your amulet back from the Marlfox. I have a boat. We can sail to the island tomorrow."

Twilight said, "The trouble about getting the amulet back is that it can only be removed by the creature who wears it. We've got to figure out a way to trick Mokkan into taking it off himself."

"How are we gonna do that?" said Ocellus.

"Well, when Trixie had the amulet, we got her to give it up by making a fake copy of it, and convincing her to trade."

"I could make a copy if I knew what the original looked like," said Joshy.

"I can show you." Twilight used her horn to make a hologram of the Alicorn Amulet appear.

"Perfect!" said Joshy. He turned to Gawjo. "Do you have any Crayola Model Magic an' acrylic paint about you?"

"I do."

"Super-duper! That's one problem taken care of!"

"Ah'd dearly like tae help," said Megraw. "But Ah cannae fight with mah broke wing."

Gawjo's lazy hooded eyes flickered. "Are you sure about that? There ain't a pinion feather missin' from your wing, an' 'tis not broken anywhere along its length. I think it's only dislocated. Now, I know more about fixin' injuries than most beasts, ask Torrab. I can reset your wing and put it back in its right place so you can fly again!"

"Do ye no say, Gawjo? Weel, Ah'm willin' tae try et!"

"Well, it's a risky plan we have here," said Twilight. "But it's the only one we've got. We'll have to hope it works."