Ponyville Mysteries Issue 3

My Little Pony: Ponyville Mysteries #3 is the third issue of IDW Publishing's My Little Pony: Ponyville Mysteries comic miniseries. In the issue, the Cutie Mark Crusaders investigate an arson at the Ponyville Retirement Village.

Summary
During a Filly Guides campout, Scootaloo's aunts Holiday and Lofty teach the fillies how to make a campfire treat called a sum'yum—using roasted prickly pears, chocolate bars, and vanilla wafers. Just then, a panicked Granny Smith appears and alerts the Cutie Mark Crusaders about a fire at the Ponyville Retirement Village. At the Retirement Village, Mayor Mare oversees the residents' evacuation while firefighters put out the fire. Firefighter chief List of comic ponies reveals that the fire started in the lunchroom and appears to have been set on purpose.

Granny Smith lets her elderly friends stay at Sweet Apple Acres while the fire damage at the Retirement Village is repaired. As they discuss who would set fire to the Village, Sand Trap casts blame on Filthy Rich, who has been wanting to build a new hotel on the Village's property for some time. The Crusaders go to Diamond Tiara's house the next day and ask her about this, but Diamond Tiara insists that her father is innocent.

Returning to the Retirement Village, the Crusaders ask one of the residents about the fire, and he casts suspicion on Sand Trap, saying he has done nothing but complain about the Village ever since he moved in. Remembering how quickly Sand Trap blamed Filthy Rich, the Crusaders talk to Pearly Stitch and discover that she was a member of Ponyville's very first Filly Guide troop. As she longs for the days of being a Filly Guide again, Pearly asks the Crusaders to leave so she can rest.

As the Crusaders continue their interrogation of the Village residents, they find that half of the residents believe Sand Trap set the fire and the other half do not. Without any more concrete leads, the Crusaders try to investigate the crime scene itself, but Fire Streak refuses to grant them access. Sand Trap suddenly appears before the Crusaders, having heard that they were asking around about him. When the Crusaders question him, Sand Trap admits that he did once harbor ill feelings about the Retirement Village, but he has since come to view it as his home and the other residents as his family.

With both of their prime suspects cleared of suspicion and the crime scene sealed off, the Crusaders decide to investigate after dark. That night, they sneak into the Retirement Village's burned lunchroom and, after avoiding being caught by the security pony, examine where the fire started. Upon close inspection of the ashes, the Crusaders notice that it resembles campfire residue, and Scootaloo discovers traces of prickly pear and peanut butter. They flee the scene before the security pony returns.

The next morning during breakfast, Scootaloo explains to Holiday and Lofty that she and her friends found burnt prickly pear and peanut butter at the scene of the fire. Holiday and Lofty recognize these as former ingredients of Filly Guide sum'yums, originally used by the first troops a long time ago. Scootaloo has an epiphany, and she quickly gathers her friends back at the Retirement Village. They ask Pearly Stitch if she started the fire, mentioning what they found at the crime scene. Pearly Stitch, overcome with guilt, confesses that she made a small campfire because she missed being a Filly Guide and wanted to taste an old-fashioned sum'yum again, but the fire grew out of her control.

Pearly Stitch apologizes to Mayor Mare and Fire Streak, and although no one got hurt and the damage can be easily repaired, Mayor Mare warns her to never be so reckless again. Fire Streak gives the Crusaders a similar scolding for sneaking onto the crime scene without permission, but he commends them for solving the case. One month later, the Filly Guides have another campout—this time joined by Pearly Stitch for their new tradition of "Throwback Sum'yumsday".

Quotes

 * Holiday: Now that we've learned the basics of a successful campout...
 * Lofty: ...It's time for the most important part. How to make a sum'yum.
 * Scootaloo: Aunt Holiday, Auntie Lofty? What's a sum'yum?
 * Holiday: The sum'yum is a time-honored Filly Guide campout tradition!


 * Granny Smith: The Retirement Village is on fire.
 * Cutie Mark Crusaders: What?!
 * Granny Smith: Yup, heard it through the elder grapevine, and it sounds suspicious... like some good investigating is in order.


 * Fire Streak: It looks like this fire may have been set... on purpose.


 * Mr. Waddle: Who would want to set fire to the Retirement Village?
 * Sand Trap: I'll tell you who! It's that Filthy Rich!
 * Applejack: I don't know if jumping to conclusions is a good idea.
 * Sand Trap: That Filthy Rich has been itching to buy the Retirement Village forever. Wanting to tear it down and put up some fancy hotel!


 * Diamond Tiara: I know my family might not be the nicest ponies in town, but we'd never do something that terrible! Besides, my dad has enough money that if he really wanted it, he could buy it.


 * Pearly Stitch: I was a member of Troop 001, the first in Ponyville.
 * Apple Bloom: Just look at all this memorabilia!
 * Sweetie Belle: It's incredible!
 * Pearly Stitch: I loved being a Filly Guide. I often wish I could still do it.


 * "Chelsea Porcelain": Now that you mention it—when he first moved in, he was hootin' and hollerin' about not wanting to be here... and said he'd like to burn the place down.


 * Sand Trap: I guess I did say that once. It's true I didn't want to move here. It was really difficult at first. But this place has become my home. The other residents my family. I could never do anything to jeopardize that.


 * Sweetie Belle: Look at this pile of ash. It almost looks like a...
 * Scootaloo: ...Campfire?


 * Scootaloo: It actually tastes like... prickly pear, and... peanut butter?
 * Apple Bloom: Prickly pears? I think you've got sum'yums on the brain!


 * Lofty: Holiday, dear, didn't Filly Guides used to make sum'yums out of peanut butter?
 * Holiday: Why, yes! But that was a long time ago. I think the first troops did that but decided it was too messy.


 * Pearly Stitch: Oh, dear. Yes, it was me. I just missed being a Filly Guide so much and wanted to taste an old fashioned sum'yum again! I tried to make it on the stove, but it didn't taste right! A proper sum'yum is made on a campfire! I thought I could make a small one and quickly cook a sum'yum, but it got out of hand.
 * Fire Streak: I'll say it did!


 * Scootaloo: Let's begin our first monthly Throwback Sum'yumsday!
 * Filly Guides and Pearly Stitch: Hooray!
 * Pearly Stitch: I even brought my own peanut butter!
 * Scootaloo: Sounds great!