It was a quiet morning in the former Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse, now known as the Spookster HQ; Prickly Pear and Poppyseed were engaged in a particularly intense games of checkers, Amber was perusing the latest issue of The Cryptid Chronicle, and Jumbleberry was reorganizing the bookshelf in the corner, humming quietly to herself. The rhythmic call of a bluebird came through the window every so often, accompanied by the screeching of locusts in the surrounding trees.

The calm scene was soon interrupted, however, when Pompom burst through the clubhouse door, likely after running full-speed up the stairs. A small piece of glossy paper stuck out of her mane— which she regularly used to transport things, instead of just carrying a saddle bag. She shut the door behind her and wiped her hooves on the welcome mat.

"Hello, everypony!" She announced. "You're probably wondering why I called you all here."

"I'm guessing you have a mission for us," Poppyseed said, still focused on the game in front of her. "That's… kinda the only reason we have meetings."

"Indeed I do!" Pompom squeaked, shaking her head rapidly until the paper— which was now clearly a photograph— fell from her mass of curls and fluttered to the floor. She scooped it up and turned back to the group. "Look what I found on the forest path yesterday!" She held the photo out as her friends came over to look at it, beaming.

Jumbleberry tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What's that?" She asked, continuing to view the picture from different angles to try and make sense of it.

"I know what it is, and no," Amber piped up from her spot in the corner.

Pompom rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a grump, Amber! You haven't even seen it!"

"It's the centipony\*."

Pompom's face fell a bit. "Hm. Yeah, it is. What do you have against the centipony?"

"It's not real."

"I mean, that's what ponies say about most of the stuff we investigate, right?" Jumbleberry said.

"Yeah, but that stuff actually has evidence. This is just some nonsense conspiracy theory made by ponies with nothing better to do," Amber huffed, closing her magazine and walking over to Pompom.

"Oh, yeah?" The pink pony drawled, sticking her nose in the air. "Then how do you explain this?" She held the photo in front of Amber's face, waving it tauntingly.

Amber shoved her hoof away, snorting. "I've seen a million pictures exactly like that one. They're all fake."

"Why would somepony put a fake picture of the centipony in the woods? It has to be real, and somepony had to drop it!"

"Someone probably put it there to mess with ponies like us! They're just trying to waste our time!"

Poppyseed stepped beside Amber, saying, "I think I'm with her on this one, Pompom. It's just… not very scientific."

"But what if it is real? And we found it? We'd be famous!" Jumbleberry cheered.

Amber huffed. "Well, if you two want to go on some wild goose chase to find an old legend that doesn't exist, be my guest. But I'm staying here."

"We're a team!" Pompom said, stuffing the photo back into her mane. "We can't just go off on our own! We need to stick together."

Amber sighed. "Fine. Then let's take a vote. Who wants to go looking for the centipony?"

Pompom and Jumbleberry raised their hooves.

"And who wants to stay here?"

Amber and Poppyseed raised their hooves.

Everyone in the room turned to Prickly Pear, who was watching them from the other side of the clubhouse silently.

"Pear? What do you think?" Poppyseed asked.

The unicorn considered the question for a moment, then pointed a hoof at Pompom and Jumbleberry.
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\*The centipony is the Equestrian equivalent of Bigfoot.
The beginning of the Spookster Club's little mini-story! This takes place in the Charityverse, but isn't related to the main story. Just some kids having a good time, hunting cryptids, summoning satan on accident, normal stuff.