Baby Graffiti shook her head.
"What WAS that?" Baby Ribbon whispered to her.
"I dunno," Baby Graffiti said. "But it's time to start the school trick-or-treat."
Baby Peach Blossom was very shaken. "I'm still scared," She said to Baby Ribbon. "But I know that I can last the night. Baby Racer betted me I couldn't and I betted I could, and there's thirty whole JANGLES on the line. And I don't have 30 jangles, so I've gotta win this bet."
"Now," Baby Graffiti said in her Wraith-like voice. "It is time for school trick-or-treating. If you did not bring something to hold your candy in, there are free Jack O'Lantern candy holders up here."
After those who needed the buckets got them, Baby Graffiti cleared her throat again.
"Now, it will be simple. The same rules for the exploring activity apply to the trick-or-treat one too. You just go around the school and trick-or-treat. Have fun."
She stepped down, and the chatter commenced in the cafeteria.
"Let's all go in a big group," Suggested Baby Ribbon, walking up. "I just told Baby Paws about the apparition. Turns out he's a skeptic. I have a camera. If we see it again, I can take a pic or two and find out if it's fake or not."
"Good idea," Baby Graffiti said, rubbing her tongue against her top front teeth. "Come on, let's go."
Baby Paws was laughing. "Oh come ON! Ghosts DO NOT exist!" He stated while giggling.
Baby Ribbon pulled her long white dress away from a cauldron of lit floating candles.
"Yeah, well, it looked real enough to me." She said firmly.
"I couldn't SEE it," Baby Graffiti said. "I just felt this presence like something was watching us with disapproval."
"Disapproval?" Baby Ribbon asked. "Disapproval of what?"
"Maybe the Halloween Party." Baby Graffiti suggested.
"Oh come ON, you two! You're not fooling me! Here's the library. From what I heard from others while you guys were rattling on about your 'ghost', I heard that the library's got the best grub in the school! Let's go in!"
And with that, Paws ducked into the library. The others followed. The library seemed dimmer. Not many kids were there.
"This isn't the library," Cotton Candy said. "Great, Baby Paws, you got us lost!"
"Ah, shaddap," Paws said, moving a tentacle out of his way. "Man, where's the grub??"
Baby Graffiti grabbed Baby Paws. "Come on and let's get outta here!" She snapped. "I don't like it in here. It's too dark."
Baby Jedi suddenly ran in. "What's going on here?" She asked.
"Whaddya mean?" Paws asked dumbly. "All the candles in the whole school are dimming! I can't find a single grown-up in the whole place either! And-" She shivered. "I sense something evil." She looked around the room. "Where ARE we?" She muttered.
"Good question," Baby Graffiti said. "We don't know either."
"Yes, actually we do." Baby Sweet Stuff's voice came from outside. "We aren't in the library. We're in room 100."
"That's not the library's number," Jedi said. Wait -- I walked up two flights of stairs, so we should be on the second floor. But if I recall correctly --" Everyone went pale. "Room 100 is on the FIRST FLOOR." Baby Leaper stated.
There was a crash very close to them. They all jumped and Ribbon readied her camera. "I see it!" Screamed Ribbon, flashing a picture.
"Oh my--" Paws cried out. "OK, OK! I believe, I believe!" He ran out of the room. The others followed.
"I can't see very well!" Baby Cotton Candy yelled.
There was the sound of tripping.
"Who fell?" Baby Graffiti called out, skidding to a halt.
"Me," Rang out Baby Sweet Stuff's voice. It sounded shaky. "I swear somebody grabbed my right back hoof and tripped me!"
"WHAT?!!" Screeched Baby Ribbon.
"Get up and RUN!" Graffiti yelled.
The group ran out screaming at the top of their lungs. They suddenly found themselves outside. A freezing wind blew. Looking up at the school, all windows were dark.
"What's going ON?" Jedi said.
"I don't know!" Graffiti gasped. "All I know is that a ghost is in the school and ruining the Halloween party!" She picked up a leaf and shredded it. "I had a bad feeling that I wouldn't be able to keep my promise."
Paws shrugged. "Well, you kept the promise about it being the scariest party in the school's history."
Graffiti glared at him. "Shut up, will you? I didn't want an apparition going around scaring the living daylights out of all the guests! Some stupid angry dead pony who's going around trying to ruin MY PARTY." She straightened her back. "Well, I'm going back in there. Hand me a flashlight."
Once inside the pitch-black school, Baby Graffiti turned the flashlight on. The others huddled behind her. Baby Graffiti cleared her throat.
"Hello?" She called out loud and clear. "Hello?"
There was a clatter off in the distance. They shrugged it off and went up a stairwell, calling out once in a while. Only their echoes answered them.
"They probably all flew the coop when the candles started going out." Paws said. "Maybe we should just go to the office and if the intercom's still working, use that to tell everyone to assemble outside."
"That's the first smart thing you've ever suggested, Baby Paws." Baby Graffiti said. "To the office!"
They eventually found the office. It just so happened that Baby Firefly and Baby Medley were sitting in there. They explained that they couldn't find Firefly or Medley.
"Let's see if the PA's still working," Baby Cotton Candy said, trying to turn on the thing.
Graffiti switched it on and tapped the mike. The sound echoed in the hallway.
"Yes!" Hissed the babies.
"Attention, everypony, attention." Baby Graffiti said. "Please, if you can, please try to find your way outside of the school so we can regroup and divide into candle lighting groups. So please try to find your way to where the office is and exit through the lobby. Thank you." She hung up the mike.
"I hope this works." Murmured Bay Medley.
Suddenly, Baby Peach Blossom burst in. "I can't find Mom!" She cried out. "Mom doesn't know her way around the school!"
"Calm down!" Graffiti said. Then she got that feeling again, and the flashlight flicked off, leaving them in total darkness, screaming.