Gilda and Rainbow Dash were arguing by the time Pinkie approached them; she was let loose pretty soon after Rainbow’s recon squad returned to the Knights and gave ‘em the all clear to wander through the village of spooky identical houses, and so of course her first instinct was to find Rainbow.

Gilda was huffy cuz the prisoner that she and Dash captured, Tree Hugger, was sent straight to Lightning Dust, and Gilda wanted to keep her and boss her around a bunch. Rainbow though was pretty lackadaisical about it.

“Gawd why can’t you ever get mad about stuff!” Gilda huffed, throwing her arms in the air as she shouted at Rainbow.

“I get mad about plenty of stuff,” Rainbow shrugged.

“Yeah? Name one,” Gilda crossed her arms and looked completely bemused; it was kinda funny.

“Your stench,” Rainbow grinned, and Gilda let out a cackling wail and started chasing her with her arms out to wring Rainbow’s neck.

It was all too funny and Pinkie couldn’t help but start laughing uncontrollably.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow said, her ears perking up as she turned to Pinkie.

“Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie beamed, and then she realized oh yeah she could just run up and hug her! So she did that!

“You really saved our asses today, Pinkie,” Rainbow chuckled, holding Pinkie in her winged arms. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Pinkie gave a catlike smirk. “It’d be a damn shame to lose asses those nice.”

“Sh-shut up!” Rainbow blushed furiously and tried to push Pinkie away, but she wasn’t going anywhere and just clung to Rainbow like glue.

“Jokes aside,” Pinkie let go of Rainbow and jumped back, striking a dazzling pose, “I’m happy to help!”

“You helped us out of a jam this one time,” Gilda said grumpily, arms all crossed and stiff. Pinkie had half a mind to mimic her pose for fun, but she knew Gilda would get mad and then Rainbow would have to cool her off, and she didn’t wanna put Rainbow out like that. “Don’t get cocky.”

“But I love cock!”

Rainbow sputtered and even Gilda lost her composure at that, Pinkie giggling into her fist.

“You guys are too easy! It’s so funny!”

“Alright that’s it,” Gilda wound up her fist and stomped toward Pinkie, “you’re getting pounded.”

“If you say so,” Pinkie spun around and stuck out her butt for Gilda, even spreading her cheeks for good measure. Gilda couldn’t see anything past Pinkie’s dress obviously, but she got the hint.

“Why are you such a little weirdo!” Gilda screamed, her face turning blood red as she stomped off irritably, but she didn’t go too far. She walked like two steps and just started huffing again.

“C’mon, Gilda,” Rainbow laughed and patted Gilda’s arm. “We still gotta case this village one more time before we can head out and move on, so let’s get to it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Gilda groaned. “She comin’?”

“Of course,” Pinkie and Rainbow said in unison, and then Pinkie was like “Jinx! You owe me a soda!”

“What does that mean?” Rainbow cocked her head.

“Oh, sorry,” Pinkie laughed awkwardly. She forgot that most monsters had never been to the surface before. “Just a dumb inside joke, don’t worry about it.” More like an outside joke cuz it was a surface thing… dang that was funny, and Pinkie was bummed out that Rainbow and Gilda wouldn’t get that one either.

So anyway the girls went about casing the village, which basically meant combing through each house one by one. It was gross and weird and boring and it sucked. The houses were practically identical on the inside too; there wasn’t much in the way of furniture inside any of ‘em, and the floorplans were all the same. By the fifth empty house they went in, Pinkie was starting to lose her marbles.

Oh… Marble. Oh, now Pinkie was sad again. She missed her sisters.

Anyway the worst part about these houses? CRAMPED. The three girls couldn’t easily make their way around as a group, but Pinkie couldn’t go off on her own cuz she needed to be watched by a Knight at all times (and while Pinkie was usually happy to ignore that rule, she didn’t wanna get Rainbow in trouble), so Rainbow and Pinkie did a lot of exploring on their own while Gilda searched the upper floor.

Rainbow squeezed into a room off the side of the foyer, a tiny-ass room choked by counters that added nothing to anything. Pinkie hated how ugly they were, and distracted by that hatred she didn’t notice Rainbow had disappeared until she looked up and saw no Rainbow there.

“Rainbow?” Pinkie asked hesitantly, receiving a muffled scream in reply. “Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie called out in alarm, turning the corner to see Rainbow held hostage with a knife to her throat by another woman.

The woman was a grumpy looking meanie, with a body made from stone and sharp fangs bared against Rainbow’s neck. She was a gargoyle, and she had cool white hair swept off to one side and wore a sick looking leather jacket.

She was dangerous, no doubt about it, but all Pinkie could think to do when she saw her was embrace her in a hug and start crying.

“Limestone!” Pinkie blubbered.

“P-Pinkie?!” Limestone replied, Pinkie’s hug also subtly pushing Limestone away from Rainbow so she could get free. “Is that really you?!”

“Yep!” Pinkie said cheerfully with a big bright smile, tears stopped on a dime and arm around her sister’s shoulders. “How long’s it been? Twenty years? Thirty years? A HUNDRED YEARS?”

“It’s been ten years,” Limestone said distantly, like she was still in shock at seeing Pinkie’s cute face. Not that Pinkie could blame her.

Had it really been ten whole years?

“Pffft, is that all?” Pinkie scoffed and batted her hand, playing it super cool.

“Yo dweeb what’s going on down here?” Gilda asked as she clambered into the room which was in no way big enough for the four of them to all stand in comfortably. “Who the hell’s this?”

“I have no idea,” Rainbow said.

“This is my sister,” Pinkie beamed and pointed at the gargoyle, “Limestone Pie! Say hi, Limestone!”

“Pinkie how is that all you have to say?” Limestone griped. “I haven’t seen you in ten years, and you’re acting like nothing ever happened!”

“What’re you talking about,” Pinkie scoffed, “you’re seeing me right now!”

“Listen, I dunno who you are, but—” Rainbow said and reached her hand toward Pinkie, only to have Limestone cut it with her knife.

“Don’t test me,” Limestone said, standing in front of Pinkie to defend her Rainbow and Gilda. “I’m taking Pinkie back to the surface, and if either of you try to—”

“Limestone,” Pinkie sighed and tugged on Limestone’s ear, the gargoyle yelping in pain, “quit being a bitch to my friends.”

“What do you mean friends?” Limestone said in disgust, tugging herself away from Pinkie and facing her. “These are monsters!”

“Uh, dude? You too,” Rainbow said casually, and Limestone just clicked her tongue.

“New arrival, huh?” Gilda chuckled.

“Wait, Limestone,” Pinkie gasped, suddenly putting the pieces together, “did you come all the way down here from the surface just to see me?”

“Of course,” Limestone said blankly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Then she got angry again, big surprise. “And it took forever to get an expedition together that was willing and able to come down here to rescue you, so I’m not leaving you until I take you back to the surface!”

“Oh, Limestone,” Pinkie giggled and pat Limestone’s shoulder, “I don’t need to be ‘rescued’. I’m happy here!”

“Is that right,” Limestone said, her voice dripping with contempt. Pinkie’s eyes narrowed, but Rainbow spoke up before she could.

“Yo who cares about the surface?” Rainbow shrugged and walked up beside Pinkie, leaning against the counters next to her. “You should join the Lightning Knights if you really care about Pinkie.”

“Ooh, yeah!” Pinkie cooed, pumping her fists and looking excitedly between Rainbow and Limestone, who she just knew were gonna be the best of friends. “That’s a great idea!”

“No,” Limestone said coldly. “Even in this monstrous form, I’m still a Paladin. I don’t align myself with monsters.”

“But Limestone,” Pinkie said sternly, “I’m a monster.”

“That’s different,” Limestone insisted. “Cuz you’re you.”

“Wait hold on,” Gilda chimed in suddenly and pointed at Limestone, inquisitive look on her face. “If you came from the surface, then that means those rumors of a pony soul in the Underworld are true.”

“Of course they’re true,” Limestone said, sounding disgusted that she had to explain something that must’ve been obvious to her judging by that tone. “Obviously. If you think the Lightning Knights have just decided to attack the Family on their own turf now out of coincidence, then you’re dumb as dogshit.”

Okay… now things were getting interesting.

“Pony soul huh?” Pinkie tapped her cheek. “Do you know where we can find that, Limestone?”

Limestone was conspicuously quiet, but her silence spoke volumes as an air of joy and sinister smiles washed over the other three.

“Hey Limestone,” Gilda put her hand on Limestone’s shoulder, “I just thought of a way for everypony to be happy.”

meant to have this chapter up eons ago but Life,, y'know how it is. that said, i'm happy to put it up now, and i've settled that Life stuff, so regular updates will resume on monday :>