//------------------------------// // Puzzle 12: Civic Planning // Story: Princess Twilight and the Puzzling Curse // by Parchment_Scroll //------------------------------// Solution: Seeeensational! Now that is what I call the Art of the Dress! "Thanks ever so much, darlings," Rarity said, batting her eyelashes at Twilight and Spike. "Anything for you, Rarity," Spike said with a sigh. "All right," Twilight put in before Spike could begin to wax poetic on Rarity's many virtues, "we need to put a stop to this puzzle nonsense once and for all. Come on, guys!" Spike leapt back up into the saddle, posing dramatically for Rarity's benefit, and Rarity smiled indulgently. "One moment, Twilight," she said, ducking back behind a divider. True to her word, it took her barely a moment to change into a flowing purple gown that complemented her mane and tail. "One must look one's best when one is travelling with royalty, after all!" "You always look your best, Rarity," Spike said dreamily. "Much as I hate to encourage him," Twilight said with a roll of her eyes, "you know he's right." "Well, thank you, darlings," Rarity said, "but true perfection isn't nearly as effortless as I make it appear. In any event, lead on, Princess!" "You can just call me Twilight, you know," Twilight said. "Oh, but never in public, darling! Proprieties!" "But we're not in..." Twilight knew a lost cause when she saw one, and cut herself off mid-sentence. "Okay, fine. Come on, guys. We should check in with the mayor while we're doing all this. If anypony has any information on how this started, I'm sure it's either her, or someone she knows." * * * * * Mayor Mare was, as with everyone else Twilight had met that morning, in a complete tizzy. She was pacing back and forth in front of the Ponyville Town Hall, muttering to herself. Twilight rolled her eyes. "Hello, Mayor!" she called out with a cheerful wave. "Tell me, any problems, conundrums, or puzzles that I, as a good friend, can help you with?" "I doubt it very much, Twi--" The mayor cut herself off. "I mean, 'No, thank you, Your Majesty.'" Twilight grimaced. "Please," she said. "I've only been a princess for a few days, and I don't even know what's involved in it. Just... treat me like you always have and we'll be fine." "I beg Your Majesty's pardon?" Twilight winced. "Twilight's fine," she reassured. "Twilight Sparkle if you have to be formal, but I'm still just plain old me." She chuckled ruefully and her wings fluttered at her sides before settling down again. "Okay, maybe with one or two minor changes, but really, still Twilight Sparkle." "A-all right," the mayor said. "Twilight... Thank you, but this is definitely something more along the lines of city planning and less along the lines of the magic of friendship." "So... no puzzles?" "Puzzles?" Mayor Mare blinked at Twilight, clearly perplexed. "Everyone I've met so far today has had a problem that turned out to be some kind of riddle or puzzle. Logic problems, things like that." Rarity cleared her throat. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said primly. "And one hidden image puzzle," Twilight amended. Rarity, oddly, looked mollified by that declaration. "No, no," Mayor Mare said, "I'm dealing with something a lot less perplexing than that," she said. "Frustrating, yes. Perplexing, no." "What's the problem?" "Someone in the Ponyville Civic Planning Committee has gone ahead and put in work orders for things that hadn't been voted on yet, and now..." Mayor Mare gestured broadly with a hoof, as though presenting town square to Twilight. "Well, just look!" Spike scratched his spines in confusion. "Looks the same as ever to me," he said. "Except with less ponies walking around. Probably because they're all stuck at home because of those puzzles Twi was talking about." "No," Twilight said after a moment's thought, "something is definitely different here." Rarity nodded. "Why, I see five different things that have changed since yesterday alone!" she said, which earned her a grimace and an eye-roll from the mayor. Puzzle 12 Civic Planning 30/30 Bits Mayor Mare is very busy, in part due to the number of problems happening all over town, but mostly because somepony in the Ponyville Civic Planning Committee gave the go-ahead for a number of changes to Ponyville Town Square without putting the items to a vote! Find five changes instituted by whoever did the deed.