Solution:
Once you've placed Sweet Apple Acres in the southwest corner of the map, the rest should be relatively easy. Unicorn Point, to be the furthest landmark, should be as far north and east as you can get it: in the easternmost column and one space south of the corner.The other two landmarks are placed relative to Unicorn Point as shown.
"Wow," Twilight said after she and her friends figured out where Pipsqueak should dig, "this puzzle thing is getting more frustrating by the minute!"
"Ah'll say," Applejack put in. "Whoever thunk a little colt like Pipsqueak could figure out a puzzle like that!"
"Hey!" the colt in question squeaked indignantly.
"No offense," she hastened to add.
"Well, this should be the spot," Rainbow Dash said, surveying the area from above.
"All right," Applejack said, "we better start diggin', then."
"Digging?" Rarity looked aghast. "Oh, no, no, no!"
"Y'all expect a little feller like Pip ta do it himself?" Applejack narrowed her eyes at her friend. "He ain't no diamond dog, ya know."
"Oh, very well," Rarity said.
With the help of Applejack's muscles and Rarity and Twilight Sparkle's magic, the ponies soon made quite a lot of progress digging for Pipsqueak's "real, honest-to-Celestia pirate treasure".
"Rainbow Dash," Applejack said after a few minutes of prodigious effort, "are y'all sure this is the right spot?"
"Hey," Rainbow Dash said, "I may not be an egghead like Twilight, but if there's one thing I know, it's what Ponyville looks like from above! This is the exact--"
She was interrupted by a thump and a squeak, as Pipsqueak's shovel (being weilded by Applejack) encountered a solid obstacle. "Ah apologize, Rainbow Dash," the farmpony said. "That sure sounded like wood ta me."
"Me too," Rarity said. "Come on, come on, come on, let's get that treasure dug up!"
Everyone stared at her for a moment.
"Sorry," she said. "I got caught up in the moment."
It was the work of just a few seconds, thanks to Twilight's magic, and then the chest was revealed. It was a wood chest, painted pink, with blue trim and brass fittings.
"Isn't that...?" Twilight said.
"Sure looks like it," agreed Rainbow Dash.
"Well?" Rarity looked over at Pipsqueak. "It's your treasure, after all. Go on and open it!"
"Do you think she's...?" Twilight said, continuing her half-unspoken conversation with Rainbow Dash, and gesturing at the chest.
Rainbow considered the question, then nodded. "Probably."
"We should act surprised."
"It's only polite."
Hesitantly, Pipsqueak opened the latch on what Twilight and Rainbow Dash had correctly identified as Pinkie Pie's toy chest. As soon as the latch was undone, the lid flew open in an eruption of confetti, streamers, and, of course, Pinkie Pie (thankfully, just the one). "SURPRISE!!!"
"Hey, Pinks," Rainbow said nonchalantly.
"What happened to acting surprised?" Twilight asked archly.
"I said it was polite," Rainbow Dash said, "not that I would do it."
While Pipsqueak rummaged through his new toy chest, gleefully unearthing board games and pirate toys and even a small bag of bits ("Thirty seven," Pinkie Pie said to the others), Twilight and her friends began trotting off towards town while they brought Pinkie up to speed on the situation.
* * * * *
"I bet it's Discord," Pinkie Pie said.
"All the signs point to it," Twilight agreed, "which bothers me. Last time he was in Ponyville, Discord really seemed to have learned his lesson."
"Well, everypony backslides occasionally," Fluttershy said. "I'm sure if we explain it to him, he'll apologize and put everything back."
"If he doesn't," Twilight said, "he's going to have to answer to us."
"Oh, Twilight!" Pinkie bounded excitedly over to her friend.
"Yes, Pinkie Pie?"
"These were in the treasure chest with my toys," Pinkie said, pulling a few fragments of paper out of her mane. "I was gonna throw them away, but then my knees got wobbly and my eyes fluttered and my ears flopped twice!"
"That's a new one on me," Applejack said. "What's that one mean?"
"I dunno!" Pinkie said. "But since it happened when I was going to throw the papers away, I figured maybe it meant I shouldn't do that."
Spike took the papers from Pinkie Pie with a grin. "Pinkie Sense saves the day again," he exclaimed. "I think this is all of them!"
"Fantastic, Spike!" Twilight said, then hugged Pinkie with both her wings and her forehooves. "Thanks, Pinkie, you were a big help."
"All we need to do now is put the letter back together!"
"Well, that," Twilight said, "and continue our investigation."
"Where to next?"
Twilight grinned, gesturing with a forehoof at the schoolhouse they were approaching.
"Thinkin' Cheerilee might have some information y'all c'n use?" Applejack asked.
"Well of course she does," Rarity said. "She's a teacher. She has to have noticed the odd behaviour in her students today."
"I think that's a safe assumption," Rainbow Dash said, jerking a forehoof over her shoulder to indicate the teacher. "She's clearly upset about something."
"Ah hope it ain't mah sister and her little friends again," Applejack grumbled.
"You and I both, dear," Rarity said as she and Applejack took the lead.
Cheerilee looked up as they approached. "Oh," she said. "Hello, there, Applejack. Rarity."
"Howdy, Cheerilee!"
"Hello." Rarity looked around. "Oh, my goodness," she said, taking in the schoolhouse interior, which looked like a minor tornado had struck. "I suspect we were right about our sisters, Applejack."
"Ah reckon so," Applejack said. As Twilight and the others approached, she looked over at the teacher. "Why'n't y'all tell us what happened here?"
Cheerilee shook her head, seeming to come to her senses for a moment. "Oh, this?" she said. "This is just... enthusiasm. See, the girls--"
"By 'the girls'," Twilight interjected, "I presume you mean the Cutie Mark Crusaders?"
"Yes," Cheerilee said. "They got in a bit of an argument yesterday in the playground. So, I gave them detention this morning."
"Ah wondered why Applebloom didn't seem none too thrilled about goin' off with her friends first thing in the mornin'."
"Anyway," Cheerilee said, "when they got here, I told them they could leave detention early today if they could solve a puzzle for me." She smiled. "But if they tried and got it wrong, they would have detention all week."
"That seems a mite harsh," Applejack said.
"Well, I'm trying to encourage critical thinking," Cheerilee said. "Not just guessing."
"So, Ah assume since the girls're back at the clubhouse, they done solved yer little puzzle?"
"Yes," Cheerilee said, "but I can't for the life of me figure out how!"
Puzzle 08
Beanie Babies
35/35 BitsThe Cutie Mark Crusaders were given an opportunity to get out of detention quick, and they took it! Cheerilee blindfolded the rambunctious trio and gave them each a beanie at random out of a box of five. Three of the beanies had propellers on them and two did not. In turn, each pony had their blindfold removed. If they could correctly state what kind of beanie they were wearing, then all three of them would be free to go. If a single one of them guessed wrong, however, they would have detention after school for a week. If they chose not to guess, they could put their beanie back in Cheerilee's trunk and she would remove the next pony's blindfold. Here is what happened:
Scootaloo couldn't tell what kind of beanie she was wearing, so she put it back in the trunk.
Sweetie Belle also couldn't tell what kind of beanie she was wearing, and put hers back in the trunk as well.
Apple Bloom was able to correctly identify her beanie, even though Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had both already put their beanies away before her blindfold was removed.Cheerilee is sure Apple Bloom wasn't just guessing, since the penalty for guessing wrong was too severe.
