"Okay Students, it's time for history." The classroom became filled with the sound of complaints. History wasn't everypony's favorite subject, mostly because they learned about boring things a majority of the time. "Don't worry, today's lesson won't be the same as the others. Since Nightmare Night is just a few days away, I've decided to share with you some of the urban legends that involve local places." Cheeriliee was happy to see that all of the students were paying attention now. Though urban legends wouldn't really teach the students anything important, she decided that they needed a break from the normal lessons they had been doing.
Applebloom raised her hoof. "Yes, Applebloom?" asked Cheerilee.
"What's an urban legend?" asked Applebloom.
"I'm glad you asked, Applebloom. Urban legends are stories that revolve around places that are supposedly haunted. The stories can be backed up by real events that took place in the past, but they're all mostly not true."
"So you mean like ghost stories?" asked Scootaloo.
"Kind of. They're like ghost stories but with more back story to them. Are you all ready?" asked Cheerilee.
"Yeah!" all of the students were ready. Cheerilee began to tell the first urban legend. Most of the students had already heard this one, but they didn't mind hearing it again. It was the story of Slender Stallion. This urban legend was about a tall, white stallion with no face that roamed the Everfree Forest at night. No sightings have been made of this apparition, so everypony knew it was fake. All except The Cutie Mark Crusaders, of course. Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Swetie Belle all looked at each other.
"Do you think that Slender Stallion is real?" whispered Applebloom.
"Of course! Why do you think nopony goes in the forest at night?" answered Scootaloo.
"I'm sure I know of some ponies who have gone into the forest at night," said Sweetie Belle.
"The only ponies who say they've been in the forest at night are obviously lying. They just want to seem cool!"
"Now, if you three would stop talking, I will go on to the next urban legend." The three fillies realized that they had missed the ending to the last story. "This next one is called 'Bunny Mare.' Once upon a time, there was a pony named Griffin Dougal. She escaped from an asylum and took refuge near a tunnel. When travelers ventured near the tunnel, she would jump out of nowhere in a bunny suit and yell at them for trespassing. She is long dead by now, but every once-in-a-while there are reports of a mare in a bunny costume scaring ponies near the tunnel."
"Where is this tunnel?" asked Scootaloo.
"I don't know, actually. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, ghosts don't exist."
"Okay."
"Now, this next one is the last one for today," said Cheerilee. "This is the story of 'The Haunted Hospital.' Long ago, not too long after Ponyville was established, there was a hospital. One day, the hospital caught fire. Nopony knows how the fire started. There were some patients that couldn't be evacuated in time, and their spirits are said to haunt the charred remains of the hospital."
"Remains? You mean it's still here?" asked Applebloom.
"Yes. Probably none of you have seen it because it is hidden just behind trees not too far away from the hospital we use today."
"Oh, okay."
"So that ends today's history lesson. Now, let us move on to reading. Everpony take out your books and turn to chapter 5, where we left off last time."
After school was over, Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle met up outside. Scootaloo had a smile on her face. "Why're you smiling?" asked Applebloom.
"Um, because I'm happy?" replied Scootaloo.
"Oh yeah."
"And because I know how we can try to get our cutie marks!"
"Really!? How?" Sweetie Belle asked excitedly.
"We hunt ghosts!"
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo. "But Cheerilee said that ghosts aren't real. You heard her yourself," said Sweetie Belle.
"She only said that because she doesn't want anypony to hunt them!" said Scootaloo.
"That makes sense!" said Applebloom.
"I guess you're right," Sweetie Belle agreed reluctantly. "But wouldn't it be dangerous to hunt them?"
"Psh, what could a faceless stallion do to us? The worst it could do is stand there and stare at us!"
"Hey, we don't even know how to hunt ghosts," said Sweetie Belle.
"Oh yeah," said Scootaloo.
"Well, we can't just stand around and talk about it," interjected Applebloom. "Let's go see if Twilight has any books about ghost hunting!"
"Yeah!" agreed the two other fillies.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders went to their respective living areas and dropped off their school supplies.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked Rarity. "You just got here."
"I'm going to learn how to hunt ghosts!" replied Sweetie Belle very excitedly.
"Oh okay, just be home before- wait, what?" Sweetie Belle had already left.
The three filly friends met in front of Twilight's house. They walked up to the door and knocked on it. Twilight eventually opened up the door and, after seeing who it was, invited them in. "You say you want to read books? That's good! What kind of books are you looking for?"
"We need books that talk about ghost hunting," said Applebloom.
"Ghost hunting? And I thought you were actually trying to learn about important things. Oh well, let me see what I can find." Twilight left the three fillies in the living room to look for a suitable book.
After a moment of silence, Scootaloo asked, "Do you think Twilight's house is haunted?"
"Maybe," answered Applebloom.
"My sister's house is definitely haunted!" said Sweetie Belle. "Every time I visit, everything is in a different spot than how I left them. I don't think crayons and paper can put themselves back on the shelf! The only explanation is ghosts!"
Twilight came back in the room with a book. "Here. This is a story called 'Ghosts and Ghouls.' I think it has information about a ghost hunt in it."
"Is it fictional?" asked Scootaloo.
"Yes," replied Twilight.
"Good, that means it's real, girls!" said Scootaloo.
"What? No it doesn't!" The three fillies hadn't heard Twilight. They ran out of Twilight's house, and to their clubhouse.
"Let's see... Blah blah... Blah..." Applebloom was flipping through the pages, looking for the ghost hunting part. "Here we go! It says that he lured the ghosts out by talking to them." Sweetie Belle was writing in a notepad. "It also says that when the ghost came out, he used a vacuum to suck it up."
"Darn!" said Scootaloo. "The only vacuums I know of around here have to be plugged in! There's no way we'll capture ghosts in the Everfree Forest!"
"Don't worry, I know that Rarity has a cordless one," said Sweetie Belle.
"Thank Celestia! Your sister is a life-saver!" said Scootaloo. "Does the book say anything else?"
"It's really boring, there are no pictures. I think we have enough information now, anyway." said Applebloom.
"What do we have, Sweetie Belle?" asked Scootaloo.
" 'Talk to ghosts' and 'suck them up with vacuum,' " said Sweetie Belle.
"Perfect! Now, where should we start?"
"Let's go out to the forest tonight and catch Slender Stallion in a vacuum!" said Applebloom.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders Ghost Hunters is a go!" they all said together.