//------------------------------//
// Confrontation: Limestone Pie 
// Story: My Little Investigations: The Gemstone Godfather 
// by Metool Bard 
//------------------------------//

Well, I sure didn't see that coming.  I mean, what're the odds that I would bump into Limestone Pie along with Dinky?  Is this what those goons meant when they said they were relocating her?  Why did they relocate her here of all places?  I-I just have so many questions.

"So, are you content with standing there and staring at me all day, or can we get a move-on?" asked Limestone.

"Oh, right.  Sorry," I said, using my magic to cut a hole in the bars large enough for Limestone to slip through. "I just, didn't expect to see you here."

Limestone tilted her head. "I thought you came down here to rescue me.  Why wouldn't you expect to see me?"

"It's a long story," I said with a sigh. "Listen, we should focus on getting out of here."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," said Limestone, slipping through the bars. "If those goons come back, I don't wanna be around to see what happens when they discover that their gem ticket is gone."

I gave Limestone a quizzical look. "Gem ticket?  What do you mean?"

"I think you know," said Limestone, nodding her head at Dinky.

Mare-Do-Well put a hoof to her muzzle. "So, you know that Dinky Doo is important to the culprit?  How?"

"Hey, when you work on a rock farm, you learn to listen to things," said Limestone.

"Listen to rocks, you mean," I said, rolling my eyes.

"You'd be surprised by how much a rock can say, Sparky," said Limestone with a snicker. "But that aside, it's not the rocks that I was listening to."

Wait a minute.  If Limestone was in contact with the culprit and his henchmen, than maybe she has a better idea of what's going on than I do.  I can't pass up this opportunity.

"Can you tell me about it?" I said. "We can talk on our way back to Ponyville."

Limestone raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss a memo or something?  When did you become a gumhoof, Sparky?"

"Again, long story," I said. "Although I'm surprised you don't know about it.  Weren't you keeping your ears open?"

"That doesn't mean I heard everything, Sparky," said Limestone. "These guys are pretty tricky.  And if you're planning on bringing them down, you need to bring your A game.  Oh, and I want in.  Anyone who kidnaps a sweet little filly needs to be taught a lesson."

"You'll get no argument from me, Ms. Pie," said Mare-Do-Well. "We'd be happy if you could help us in any way you can."

"Yeah, sure.  You got it, Ms. Mask," said Limestone. "By the way, nice of you to join us here in reality.  Honestly, I didn't know my Power Ponies comics could work in reverse."

"It's, Mare-Do-Well, actually," said Mare-Do-Well. "And I'm not from a comic book, although my attire would suggest otherwise."

Limestone blinked. "You mean you're that crazy vigilante from who knows how many moons ago?  When did you come back?  No, wait.  Let me guess.  Long story, right?"

"Indeed," said Mare-Do-Well.

Limestone sniggered. "Well, if and when we get out of this mess, you guys have to tell me all about it.  For now, I guess I'll tell you what I heard.  Feel free to fill in any gaps; I'm sure you'll find a few."

"Alright," I said.  This was actually an ideal arrangement.  If I could properly fill in the holes in Limestone's story with the evidence I had, we could unmask the true villain behind this mess.  I just hope that Limestone's testimony is enough to go on.


***
Testimony: What I Heard
***


"First important thing to mention is that the mastermind never spoke to me directly," said Limestone. "They always had their goons lead me around.  But from those goons, I learned about this whole plan to extort gems out of ponies living in Ponyville.  A lot of the plan was a bunch of convoluted nonsense that went way over my head.  From what I understand, they used Shroud Emeralds to carry out these systematic attacks without anyone noticing.  They would then build this environment of fear, which would force their victims to pay the ransom.  It's pretty sick stuff, if you ask me."

Not a lot of this was incredibly new information.  Since Limestone didn't deal with the culprit directly, she obviously doesn't know who he is.  But there was some information that she probably overlooked.  I had to dig a bit deeper.

"When you say 'convoluted nonsense,' what do you mean by that?" I inquired.

"Well, for one thing, they wouldn't shut up about you," said Limestone. "Seriously, it was all Amethyst Star this and Amethyst Star that.  It's as if they didn't know that you're just some jeweler's apprentice.  I mean, how many gems do you actually have?"

"Not a lot," I said with a shrug. "But yeah, I noticed that the culprit had a particular interest in me.  However, I'm not sure why."

"From what I heard, it's something about your past making you an easy mark," said Limestone. "I dunno how that works, but if it was enough to bring you down here, I think their strategy is working.  Or failing miserably."

"Hmm.  It appears my previous theory was correct," said Mare-Do-Well, obscuring her eyes with her hat. "Ms. Sparkler, do you happen to have the culprit's most recent ransom note?"

"Not on me, but I remember what it said," I sighed. "On top of knowing who I am, where I work, and who I'm close to, they also know what I've been up to and what my past was like."

"So, they somehow figured out that you were investigating," mused Mare-Do-Well.

"Sure sounds like it," I said. "And that in turn prompted them to kidnap Dinky."

"I see," said Mare-Do-Well. "If you don't mind me asking, Ms. Sparkler.  What aspect of your past is the culprit latching onto?"

I heaved another sigh.  There was no use hiding it anymore.

"The fact that I'm adopted," I said. "In the letter, they threatened that I wouldn't see my little sister ever again if I didn't meet their demands.  But they put air quotes around the word 'sister,' and that's what tipped me off."

"Wait, I don't get it," said Dinky. "How would the culprit know that about you?"

"I wish I knew, Dink," I said. "But they seem to be using this fact against me."

"Well, they're doing a lousy job of it," said Limestone. "After all, they didn't expect you to come down here, did they?"

Wait a minute.  That was a good point.

"Actually, you might be right, Limestone," I said. "I don't think they were expecting me to come after Dinky."

"Really?  'Cause I was," said Limestone. "Of course, they didn't listen to me."

"No, you don't get it," I said. "Remember that environment of fear you were talking about earlier?  I think that's what they were trying to do.  They were banking on the fact that I'd be too afraid of losing Dinky to refuse their demands."

"Well, good thing you weren't, then," Limestone giggled.

"Hold on, Ms. Sparkler," said Mare-Do-Well. "My theory was predicated on the fact that our quarry knew that you'd take matters into your own hooves instead of going to Princess Twilight.  How does this make sense?"

"Because they weren't counting on me to investigate," I said. "They expected me to lie down and roll over for them.  They might know a lot about me, but they certainly don't know everything."

Dinky furrowed her brow. "Ms. Limestone, can I ask you something?"

"You just did, so my permission is irrelevant," said Limestone with a shrug.

Dinky blinked. "What?"

Limestone deadpanned. "It's a joke.  I do that when I get scared."

"Oh.  Sorry," said Dinky, rubbing the side of her head. "Anyway, how did you know that Amethyst would come to save me?  I didn't know that."

"Hey, I might not know Sparky as well as you, but one thing I do know is that she doesn't take any nonsense from anypony," said Limestone. "I can easily picture her and your mother mounting a rescue mission like this."

That, is entirely true.  I don't like being pushed around.  Of course, you folks probably already knew that.

"Speaking of your mother, where is ole Bright Eyes, anyway?" inquired Limestone. "Did she get lost or something?"

"In this labyrinth?  I wouldn't be surprised," I said with a chuckle. "Actually, I kinda took off ahead of her.  Carrot Top was trying to get her to stay put and not do anything risky."

Limestone winced. "Yeesh.  I wouldn't want to be in her horseshoes right now.  Tartarus hath no fury like a mother separated from her child.  But, like I said, good luck telling that to the culprit's minions."

"You mean you actually tried to talk them out of it?" I asked.

"Kinda," said Limestone. "I was mainly just joking around to make myself feel better.  I guess they're more afraid of their boss than they are of you and Bright Eyes."

"Is that what you were arguing with those Diamond Dogs about, Ms. Limestone?" asked Dinky.

"Amongst other things," said Limestone.  She then paused for a moment before folding her ears back. "I, didn't scare you too badly, did I?  Bedside manner's not really my thing."

"It's okay.  I'm alright now," said Dinky, nuzzling up to me. "As long as Amethyst is here, I know everything's gonna be okay."

Limestone smirked. "Keep that optimism, kiddo.  I feel like we're gonna need it to get outta here in one piece."

"Agreed," I said. "Anyway, could you tell me about your argument with the guards?  I want to know what you discussed.  Maybe it'll help me pinpoint the mastermind."

Limestone shrugged. "I don't see how, but alright."

"Are you sure this'll help, Ms. Sparkler?" Mare-Do-Well whispered to me. "We heard Ms. Pie argue with the guards.  They didn't seem to be talking about anything of substance."

"Just trust me on this, Ms. Mare-Do-Well," I said. "I have a feeling that these arguments were more than just Limestone trying to be an annoyance."

Mare-Do-Well nodded. "I hope you're right," she said.

Yeah, well.  The feeling's mutual.


***
Testimony: Diamond Dog Debate
***


"Honestly, I've been telling these jerks that this whole plan was a bad idea ever since I ended up down here," said Limestone. "After all, the Pie family has no use for gems, so kidnapping me didn't have to be part of the equation.  But no, they just stuck me with this goofy squawking dragon until they decided to move me to that alcove where you found me.  When I saw this guy with a scaly vest bring Dinky in, I made a comment about these guys sinking to a new low.  For some reason, he got all indignant about it and started yelling at me.  There was all this nonsense about a mystical dragon and how he was gonna rule the Diamond Dogs, but all I heard was 'I'm an angry jerk and I like painting bull's eyes on my back and blah blah blah yakety shmaktey.'  The funny thing was I never saw him or even heard of him until that point."

A scaly vest.  So Dodger Dragonvest was the one who kidnapped Dinky.  But that still doesn't make any sense.  He only wants the gems that hold the Four Benevolent Animals, doesn't he?  And there's a lot more of this story that I simply don't get.  Well, only one way to solve that problem.

"So, you didn't know about Kohryu until this new Diamond Dog brought it up," I said.

"What, you mean the mystical dragon?  Actually, no," said Limestone.

I blinked. "You mean you heard about him before Dodger Dragonvest told you?"

"A little bit," said Limestone. "Sometimes the goons would mention it when they were passing by.  They didn't say anything all that useful about this Kohryu, though, so I can't help you there."

"And, these goons.  Were they Diamond Dogs or dragons?" I inquired.

"Diamond Dogs," said Limestone, raising an eyebrow. "Why would they be dragons?"

"Because Dodger Dragonvest doesn't work with other Diamond Dogs," I said. "His whole army consisted of dragons."

"Well, I dunno what to tell ya," said Limestone with a shrug. "The only dragon I saw was the one they locked me up with."

"They locked you up with a dragon?" said Dinky with a shudder. "That's horrible."

"Meh, it's not that bad," said Limestone. "She was a pretty good conversationalist.  In the same way that Pinkie's pet alligator is a good conversationalist, but a good conversationalist nonetheless."

I'd comment, but this is a pony who speaks to rocks in order to help them grow better.  It's not the weirdest thing I've seen from the Pie family; not by a long shot.

"Let's, get back on track," I said. "The fact of the matter is that Dodger Dragonvest doesn't have any Diamond Dog allies.  At least, none that I know of."

"I dunno.  He kept talking about the girl he had the hots for and how he was doing all this to impress her," said Limestone. "Personally, I think he's kinda pathetic."

"You'd be right to think that," I said. "I actually had the displeasure of talking to him several times for my investigation.  He's probably the most despicable Diamond Dog down here, and considering all the Diamond Dogs I've talked to, that's impressive."

"I'll take your word for it," said Limestone. "Anyway, I think this girl he's trying to woo might be considered an ally."

"No, that can't be," I said, shaking my head. "Georgette Jadevest has no interest in Dodger.  She even helped repel his army from Redvest territory.  Dodger's just delusional."

"We don't know that for sure," said Mare-Do-Well.

I turned to Mare-Do-Well and gave her an odd look. "What do you mean?"

"Remember when Dragonvest confronted Rosco?" said Mare-Do-Well. "He kept insisting that Georgette Jadevest was on his side."

"Yes, because he's delusional," I said.

"That may be true, but there has to be a reason for this delusion," said Mare-Do-Well.

"Are you sure?" asked Dinky. "Mama says that love can sometimes make you do crazy things."

"Yes, but what is he basing this love on?" said Mare-Do-Well. "If Georgette Jadevest wanted nothing to do with Dragonvest, she could've let him know that she wasn't interested."

"Um, yeah," said Limestone. "I hate to derail this train of thought, but in my experience, men are more likely to go after a woman who's playing hard to get.  And by contrast, they completely ignore a woman who throws themselves at their feet."

We all stared blankly at Limestone for a moment.

"What?  That's what my Nana Pinkie told me," said Limestone with a shrug. "Just because I live on a rock farm doesn't mean I don't know these things."

"Um, quite," said Mare-Do-Well, clearing her throat. "Still, there's something about this relationship with Georgette Jadevest that seems wrong note to me."

"I, don't see how," I said. "I mean, sure, she's a bit too clean to be a Diamond Dog, but that has nothing to do with this mystery."

"Think about it this way," said Mare-Do-Well. "Shroud Emeralds are quite rare, if I'm not mistaken.  So if Dodger Dragonvest is the culprit, where did he get them?"

"Heck, I dunno," I said with a shrug. "I never even heard about them until today."

"Meaning that they don't normally appear in the northern timberline of the Everfree Forest," said Mare-Do-Well. "And that in turn means that he probably got them from somewhere else.  Or perhaps someone."

Something just clicked in my mind.

"Wait a minute.  Of course!" I exclaimed.

"What is it, Amethyst?" asked Dinky.

"That's what Byakko was looking for on the Pie Rock Farm while Limestone was being kidnapped!" I said. "He was searching for Shroud Emeralds!"

"Well, he was looking in the wrong place," said Limestone. "We don't have Shroud Emeralds on the rock farm.  At least, I've never seen one."

"No, I actually think Ms. Sparkler is onto something," said Mare-Do-Well. "What if the abduction of Limestone Pie was a diversion from Dodger Dragonvest's real goal?"

"Well, then it was a lousy diversion," I said. "Byakko returned to the scene of the crime and bumped into us."

"Ah, but what if that was the intention?" said Mare-Do-Well.

I blinked. "What?"

"Call it mare's intuition, but I think there's a lot more to this mystery that we're missing," said Mare-Do-Well. "And it has to do with Dodger Dragonvest's involvement with the true culprit, whoever that may be."

"But, who else could it be?" I asked. "It can't be Sykes Silvervest because his watch-dragon is being used without his knowledge, and it can't be the Redvest pack because they're terrified of ponies.  I don't know where you're going with this."

"There's something else I discovered while investigating the access tunnels," said Mare-Do-Well. "All of the passageways led to a place relevant to the mystery.  There was the Pie Rock Farm, Silvervest's hoard, Dragonvest's hideout, and Redvest territory.  However, these were all branching paths.  And when I tried to track down the source, it was blocked off by a massive cave-in."

"So, you think whoever's on the other side of that cave-in is the culprit?" I asked.

"It's a large leap in logic, to be sure," said Mare-Do-Well. "But I can't shake the feeling that this is the case."

"Well, we can look into that tomorrow," I said. "Right now, I think it's best that we head for home."

"Seconded," said Limestone. "I'm worried that Marble's fallen to pieces without me."

I smirked.  Limestone might be a smart aleck, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a heart.

"Right," I said. "C'mon, let's go."

We then galloped off towards the access tunnel, following the muddy footprints that brought us to Limestone and Dinky in the first place.


***
July 13, 11:11 PM
Everfree Forest
Access Tunnel
***


"Um, are you sure you want me to go first?"

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Ms. Hooves.  We'll be right behind you, I promise."

When we got to the access tunnel, I was greeted by an odd sight.  Derpy was there, looking into a dark tunnel.  And standing with her were Georgette Jadevest and Ife.  There was also a large dragon with them with green scales decorated with gems and, a goofy look on its face.

"Hey, it's my old roommate!" said Limestone. "Hi there!"

The dragon turned and let out a familiar squawk.  Georgette, Ife, and Derpy turned to face us, too.  Georgette's eyes went wide for a moment.

"Oh.  Wh-what a pleasant surprise," she said. "We were just looking for you, Ms. Star."

"Ammy!  You're okay!" Derpy cried, rushing up to me and giving me a hug. "How's Dinky?!  Is she alright?!"

"She's right here, safe and sound," I said, pointing to Dinky.

Derpy smiled and scooped Dinky up in her forelegs. "Oh, Muffin.  I was so worried about you," she said as she held Dinky to her chest, tears running down her cheeks.

"Ah, such a touching reunion," said Georgette whimsically. "Well, if you don't need us anymore, Ms. Hooves, we'll just be on our way."

Part of me felt relieved, but there's an old saying that I remember.  If something's too good to be true, it probably is.  And while I have no reason to think that Georgette Jadevest is involved in the mystery at all, this particular setup has "suspicious" written all over it.

"Just a moment, Ms. Jadevest," I said. "Before you go, I'd like to ask you a few questions..."