//------------------------------// // 2. That's Not Right // Story: The Cutie Mark Crusaders: Ghost Hunters Christmas Special // by JerryTheHouseGhost //------------------------------// "Clean ghosts, you say?" asked Jacob. "Yup, you heard me correctly!" answered Applebloom enthusiastically. "Well then, I think this ol' ghost needs a good cleanin'," said Jacob. "That's just messed up, mister ghost! Do you know how old we-" Scootaloo wasn't able to finish after Applebloom covered her mouth with a hoof. "What mah associate here is tryin' to say is we'll gladly clean you up," said Applebloom. She pulled Scootaloo to the side. "Are you crazy?" she whispered to Scootaloo. "He was trying to make the moves on us!" Scootaloo whispered back. "You've gotta be kiddin' me! I said we clean ghosts, and he just said he would like to be cleaned! Don't ruin this for us!" "Yeah? Well don't come running to me when you realized you messed up after you marry a ghost! That's just not right!" "Sometimes I don't even know where you get this stuff from." "Just you wait, Applebloom. Just you wait..." "Are you two going to be any longer? I do feel rather dirty and I think a nice cleaning would help me out," said Jacob. "Okay, that does sound a little wrong," admitted Applebloom "Told ya so!" said Scootaloo. "Let's be on our way to the clubhouse, shall we? It's not too far now." Ponyville was in sight now, and Jacob was examining it. "Why wouldn't Scrooge be there?" he asked. "Huh?" asked Scootaloo. "That town over there. It seems like the perfect place for Scrooge to be." "Well he's not there 'cause he's in our clubhouse. I thought we went over this already," said Applebloom. "Yeah, but-" "No buts! Our ghost-cleanin' business has a 'no buts' policy." "Yeah!" said Scootaloo. "And if you say 'but' one more time, we won't clean you!" "That's not the best way to keep a business running," said Jacob. "Yeah, well we're still up and running, so there!" "And what d'ya know, we're at our clubhouse!" said Applebloom. "Go ahead and, uh... Get inside it..." Applebloom and Scootaloo walked up the ramp and through the door of the clubhouse. Jacob phased through the floor and scared the crap out of them. "Whoa!!! Don't do that ever again!" said Scootaloo. "Where's Scrooge?" asked Jacob. "You said he'd be here!" "He's out getting the vacuum with our good friend Sweetie Belle. Be patient!" "I've been patient this whole time! If Scrooge isn't here soon, I'm leaving!" "But you wouldn't leave without gettin' cleaned, would ya?" "That isn't important at all compared to what I have to tell Scrooge!" "That's rude! How dare you ask for our services then make us feel bad!" said Scootaloo. "I never asked for this!" "You didn't?" "No! You two basically forced it upon me!" "We did?" asked Applebloom. "Yes! Now if you'd excuse me, I'm going to search for Scrooge myself!" "No! Don't go!" pleaded Scootaloo. "Scrooge will be here, trust me!" "If Scrooge doesn't come through that door at this very moment, I'm going to-" The door opened up and Sweetie Belle ran into the clubhouse with the vacuum. "I got the vacuum, girls!" said Sweetie Belle. "Great! Now we can clean Jacob!" said Scootaloo. "Clean him!? I thought we were-" "Yes, Sweetie Belle," said Applebloom. "Clean him." "Oooohhh," said Sweetie Belle. "Ready for your cleaning?" "Why are you talking so weird?" asked Jacob. Sweetie Belle turned on the vacuum and began to slowly move it toward Jacob. "Could you move your chain out of the way, please?" asked Sweetie Belle. Jacob didn't do anything. "Thanks." The vacuum was getting closer and closer to Jacob Marley, until it finally got close enough. It began to suck the dirt off of his clothes. Sweetie Belle slowly looked up to Jacob's face, who was glaring down at her. "I'm just... Cleaning you... Like I said I would..." Sweetie Belle slowly worked her way around Jacob Marley, sucking all the dirt off of him with the vacuum. Once she was done, she stepped back and took a look at her work. "You're all cleaned now..." The room became very silent. The three fillies stared at Jacob, and he stared back at them. Scootaloo finally ended the silence. "That'll be 20 bits, please..." "If Scrooge shows up here, tell him that he'll be visited by three ghosts." "Visited by three ghosts?" asked Sweetie Belle. "You mean, they're gonna be coming here?" "Well this seems like the place you three said Scrooge would be, so yes." Jacob Marley phased through the floor. "Well that definitely doesn't-" Jacob phased back through the floor. "Oh my Celestia!!! I thought I told you to never do that again!" yelled Scootaloo. "Thanks for cleaning me," said Jacob. He phased through the floor once more. The three friends stared at the floor for several seconds before saying anything. "Well that definitely doesn't help us at all," said Applebloom. "Yeah! I can't believe I just cleaned a ghost!" said Sweetie Belle. "Didn't we already figure out that the vacuum doesn't work on ghosts?" asked Scootaloo. "Stupid vacuum!" yelled Sweetie Belle as she threw the vacuum on the ground. It opened up and Burnt Crispy's ashes dumped out. They almost instantly formed Burnt Crispy, who began to run out of the clubhouse. "You fillies are crazy!" yelled Burnt Crispy as he fled. The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at each other, then began screaming. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"