Ponyville Mysteries Issue 2

My Little Pony: Ponyville Mysteries #2 is the second issue of IDW Publishing's My Little Pony: Ponyville Mysteries comic miniseries. In the issue, the Cutie Mark Crusaders help Jeff Letrotski and Walter figure out who is stealing bowling pins from the Ponyville bowling alley.

Summary
Picking up where the previous issue left off, Jeff Letrotski and Walter burst into the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse just as the fillies decide to start their own mystery-solving agency. They explain to the Crusaders that someone has been stealing all the bowling pins at the bowling alley and preventing them from practicing for an upcoming bowling tournament. Notably, Walter is on track to beat someone named Kingpin's bowling record. The Crusaders agree to help Jeff and Walter solve the mystery.

The Crusaders search the bowling alley for clues but come up empty. They interview the Ponyville bowling team members for possible suspects, but the players are unable to think of anyone in Ponyville who would sabotage them. Apple Bloom suggests that the culprit may not be from Ponyville, and the team says their competition in the upcoming tournament includes teams from Canterlot, Cloudsdale, and Dodge Junction. As the Crusaders leave the bowling alley to continue investigating, they run into Twist, Pipsqueak, Snips, and Snails. When they tell their schoolmates what they are up to, Snips and Snails look uneasy.

Later, at Sugarcube Corner, the Crusaders wonder how they are going to investigate the other bowling teams in Canterlot, Cloudsdale, and Dodge Junction. Just then, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash enter the bakery. When Pinkie Pie invites them to an anniversary party she's throwing for Gummy, the other ponies decline, saying they have business to take care of in the very towns that the Crusaders need to travel to.

The Crusaders, pretending to need to interview the other towns' bowling teams for a school assignment, accompany their respective sisters to their destinations the next day. Apple Bloom interviews Cherry Jubilee's bowling team in Dodge Junction, Scootaloo interviews Spitfire's team in Cloudsdale, and Sweetie Belle interviews Fancy Pants' team in Canterlot. Unfortunately, each team is hard-working and honest, and the Crusaders rule them all out as suspects.

The next day at school, the Crusaders—exhausted from their investigating—decide to look into Kingpin's old bowling record, and Apple Bloom notices that Snips and Snails also look really tired. Just as Cheerilee begins her lessons, Jeff Letrotski bursts into the classroom and tells the Crusaders that there has been another theft of bowling pins. They race to the bowling alley and run into Kingpin himself. As the group discusses Kingpin's bowling record, Kingpin says he's happy that someone is attempting to beat it. He mentions, however, that his grandson Snips is not so happy. With this information, the Crusaders hurry back to the Ponyville Schoolhouse and discover that Snips and Snails are gone.

They race to Snips' house and find himself standing guard outside the front door. When they ask him about the missing bowling pins, he pleads ignorance, but there is a loud commotion inside the house. The Crusaders shove past Snips and see Snails guarding a closet door. All of a sudden, the door bursts open, and all of the missing pins come spilling out. When Kingpin arrives and asks what's going on, Snips confesses that he was trying to protect his grandfather's bowling record. Kingpin is touched by his grandson's gesture and says it's time to let the record go. Snips accepts this and reconciles with Kingpin with a hug.

Some time later, the bowling tournament officially gets underway, and Mayor Mare honors both Kingpin by naming the bowling alley after him and the Cutie Mark Crusaders for solving the mystery.

Quotes

 * Walter: I'll tell you what you can help us with! Find the source of the sabotage!


 * Apple Bloom: Why would anypony want to steal bowling pins?
 * Scootaloo: Maybe as a practical joke?
 * Sweetie Belle: Five times though? Seems like a lot of work for a joke.


 * Sweetie Belle: I think I know who did it! Birds could have stolen the pins!
 * [beat]
 * Sweetie Belle: What?
 * Apple Bloom: I don't think birds are going to be the answer to every mystery, Sweetie Belle.


 * Jeff Letrotski: Those pins really tied the bowling alley together.


 * Cranky Doodle Donkey: I can't imagine who would want to stop us from playing.
 * Walter: Forget it, Donkey! You're out of your element.
 * Cranky Doodle Donkey: Was that necessary?
 * Walter: I'm just on edge, I'm sorry.


 * Sweetie Belle: We've been asked to solve this mystery.
 * Snips: As if you three could solve anything!
 * Twist: Actually, they once figured out why I was transforming into a timber wolf—and they came up with a cure.
 * Snails: Oh... Right.


 * Spitfire: C'mon, Soarin! Stand up straight, tuck those wings in, and get that strike!
 * Soarin: Yes, ma'am!


 * Fancy Pants: Now remember, Moon Dancer—no unicorn magic. We want to win this tournament legitimately.
 * Moon Dancer: Yes, Fancy Pants!


 * Cheerilee: Mr. Letrotski! What is the meaning of this?
 * Jeff Letrotski: Dude.
 * Cheerilee: What?


 * Jeff Letrotski: Where do you think they're heading.
 * Kingpin: Westward... Across the sands of time—
 * Walter: What are you talking about?


 * Snips: You always seemed so proud of it and well... I'm proud of it, too.
 * Kingpin: That's mighty kind, Snips. But it's time to let the record go.
 * Snips: Just so you know, I'll still be proud of you—even if Walter breaks that record.
 * Jeff Letrotski: That's beautiful, ponies.


 * Jeff Letrotski: Great job, little ponies. And didn't I tell you that the pins tie the alley together?
 * Apple Bloom: You sure did, Dude, you sure did!