The Pumpkin Ghost Read online

  A Magical Friend

  A Dream Come True

  The Special Secret

  A Unicorn Adventure!

  An Amazing Rescue

  Best Friends Forever!

  A Special Surprise

  A Singing Star

  The Lucky Horseshoe

  The Pumpkin Ghost

  With special thanks to Julie Sykes

  For Caden and Torin, Happy Halloween!

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Prologue

  Hidden in the middle of the seas, and surrounded by golden beaches, is the magical island of Chevalia. The island is ruled by the royal ponies Queen Moonshine and King Firestar from their court at Stableside Castle.

  But a long way from Stableside, in the middle of the Horseshoe Hills, was a smaller, dilapidated castle with crumbling, ivy-clad walls. Mice and beetles scurried through the empty rooms. Bats roosted in the turrets and spiders hung from thick webs.

  At the back of the castle, in a damp, dark room, a mean-looking pony with a square nose was getting ready to go out. She took her time, using a comb to arrange her mane so that it fell over her chestnut forehead and neck. Afterward, she carefully painted her hooves with sparkly black hoof polish.

  “How do I look?” she wondered aloud. She turned to a broken mirror and looked at herself. With a huge smile, she nodded at her reflection.

  “As good as my name! I look divine!” Divine’s voice rose as she continued to speak to her reflection. “Royal ponies, you lead perfect lives in your precious castle, but not for much longer! Enjoy the luxury of Stableside while you can. Soon, with a little help from my new and spooky servants, you’ll be desperate to leave. When you are gone, the royal jewels will be mine and I will crown myself the new queen of Chevalia.”

  Chapter 1

  Pippa MacDonald opened the front door and stepped outside. “Look at the moon,” she said. “It’s huge.”

  A large harvest moon hung over the houses across the street. It even had an orange hue, just like a pumpkin.

  “It’s a good night for trick-or-treating,” said her mom with a smile. She carried a plastic jack-o’-lantern with a flickering light inside.

  Pippa’s little brother, Jack, dressed as a skeleton, pushed past Mom to gape at the moon.

  “Don’t push, Jack,” said Mom. “We’re not going to leave without you. Hurry up, Miranda. Your makeup looks fine.”

  Pippa adjusted her Halloween costume, a gray pony onesie with yellow eyes. “What do you think of my zombie pony costume?”

  “You look like a real zony,” said her mom with a grin.

  “I think you look scary,” said Jack. “So do you, Miranda.”

  Pippa’s big sister wore a long, flowing black gown with a witch’s hat on her head.

  “Ugh,” she grunted. “I’m not trying to be scary. I’m going for glamorous! And I’d much rather go trick-or-treating with my friends instead of my family.”

  “You all look great,” said Mom. “And we always do Halloween as a family. It’s our tradition.”

  “Well, maybe traditions should change,” said Miranda.

  Pippa didn’t want anything to change, but she didn’t want to go out with her grumpy sister either. “Maybe you should stay home,” she said.

  “Kids,” said Mom, “that’s enough. Miranda, Pippa, we stick together.”

  “So long as there’s candy,” shouted Jack, running to the sidewalk.

  “Jack, wait!” Pippa pretended she was a zony, galloping after him with a weird, jerky gait.

  “No way!” shrieked Jack. “You can’t catch me. I’m going to eat all the candy!” He raced around the corner of the street, then stopped suddenly. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Look at that old house. It’s real spooky at night.”

  “That’s because it’s haunted,” said Miranda, catching up. “Mrs. Parsons, the old lady who lives there, is a real witch! Bet you won’t knock on her door, Pippa. You’re too much of a baby.”

  “I am not,” said Pippa. She didn’t know why Miranda was always so mean to her. She hadn’t always been like this, but ever since Miranda started middle school, she’d begun acting so superior. Pippa clutched her pumpkin-shaped bucket. “We should start at this end of the street first. We’ll knock at the haunted house last.”

  Secretly, Pippa was scared. She didn’t really believe in ghosts and witches, but the old house was covered in ivy and surrounded by thick bushes. It was dark and uninviting, the sort of place where ghosts would hang out, if there really were ghosts. Pippa hoped that by the time they reached the end of the street, their buckets would be so full of candy that they’d have to go home without knocking there.

  “Pippa’s a silly baby,” said Miranda. “I don’t want to trick-or-treat with her.”

  Pippa opened her mouth to argue, but Miranda walked off with Jack. Pippa was about to follow when she heard someone call her name. The sound came from the direction of the old house. Her pulse sped up.

  “Pippa!”

  Pippa squeaked with fright. Could the house really be haunted? But how would the ghost know her name?

  “Pippa!”

  A draft of air caught Pippa’s wavy brown hair, sweeping it over her face. She looked up as she pushed it away.

  A silver-gray pony with a long mane and tail was hovering in the air.

  “Cloud!” Pippa’s voice rose with astonishment and relief. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to see you, Pippa MacDonald.” Cloud dropped lower until she could whisper in Pippa’s ear. “Chevalia needs your help. Princess Stardust was too frightened to come with me. She sent a message instead, asking you to come immediately.”

  Pippa was alarmed. “What’s happened? Is Stardust all right?”

  “No time for that now,” Cloud answered. “I’ll tell you on the way.”

  Pippa glanced at her family. Jack and Miranda were arguing, and her hassled-looking mother was trying to make peace.

  “You won’t be missed. Remember that time stops in your world when you visit Chevalia. Please, Pippa?”

  “Of course,” said Pippa. She’d never ignore a cry for help from her best pony friend, Princess Stardust. “How will I get there? Shall I ride on your back?”

  Cloud chuckled. “I’ve got a better idea.” Swooping down, she hovered in front of Pippa. Cloud had a magical power. She could make ponies fly by rubbing her nose against theirs. “I’m loving your outfit; are you a zony?”

  “Yes!” Pippa was delighted that Cloud had guessed.

  Cloud rubbed Pippa’s nose with hers. There was a sudden loud, ripping noise.

  “Oh no! I’ve torn my outfit.” Pippa turned her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two slits opening. “Wings!” she gasped. Two enormous feathery wings were sprouting in the region of her shoulder blades. Pippa gasped as she rose in the air a little way. “Thanks, Cloud, but I’m not a real pony, so can I fly with them?”

  “Of course,” said Cloud. “Your wings will last until your feet touch the ground. Hurry, Pippa, there’s no time to lose.”

  Pippa moved into the shadows cast by a large bush and tested her wings. They felt stiff and were difficult to move. She dropped her candy bucket on the ground so she could put all her effort into flying. That was better. Once she concentrated, the wings moved easily. Pippa made them flap with a large sweeping movement. “Look, Cloud!” she squeaked excitedly as she rose higher. “I’m flying.”

  She glanced down at her family, half hoping they’d see her, but they were frozen in time and look
ed like statues, Jack and Miranda in mid-argument over who should carry the jack-o’-lantern and Mom exasperated, running a hand through her hair.

  “You’re a natural,” called Cloud encouragingly. “But don’t flap so fast! That’s better. Now, follow me.”

  Pippa moved her wings in the same rhythm as Cloud. Flying was the most exciting thing ever—after discovering Chevalia, of course!

  Pippa called softly down to Mom, Miranda, and Jack, “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  She flapped her wings and chased after Cloud with a cry of, “To Chevalia!”

  Chapter 2

  Side by side, Pippa and Cloud flew out to sea. It was a clear night, and the dark sky was lit with a smattering of stars and the huge pumpkin moon. Beneath her, Pippa caught glimpses of trick-or-treating children frozen in time, dressed as witches, ghosts, zombies, and skeletons.

  “Do you have Halloween in Chevalia?” Pippa asked Cloud.

  Cloud sighed. “Yes, we do. It was one of the traditions that the ponies who left the human world to live in Chevalia wanted to keep. Halloween is great fun. The foals go around the island in costume trick-or-treating for chocolate-covered carrots and toasted oats. There’s a prize for the scariest pony and one for the best jack-o’-lantern. We finish with a feast at Stableside Castle—only not this year.”

  “Why not?”

  “Something terrible has happened. That’s why Stardust sent for you.” Cloud’s voice trembled with disbelief as she continued, “Stableside Castle is haunted.”

  “No way!” breathed Pippa.

  “That’s what I thought. Queen Moonshine refused to believe it too. At first, she put all the ghostly noises down to trick-or-treaters getting in some early practice. But as Halloween approached, the haunting became more terrifying until . . .” Cloud broke off with a shudder. “But we’re almost here. Stardust can tell you the rest.”

  Flying was hot work, especially dressed in a zony onesie, but Pippa felt a chill run through her. If Stableside Castle really was haunted, what was she supposed to do about it?

  “Cloud . . .” Pippa wanted to go home but she couldn’t find the courage to say so.

  Cloud must have guessed her anxiety. “Pippa MacDonald,” she said softly, “you’re the girl who’s saved Chevalia not once, but many times. You are the bravest girl in pony history. Believe in yourself, and others will rally around you.”

  Pippa swallowed. What was more terrifying: facing a haunted castle, or failing her friends? But of course there was only one answer.

  “Thanks, Cloud,” she said. “I’ll do my best.”

  As Chevalia came into sight, Cloud swooped down over its golden beaches bathed in the late afternoon sun. Pippa followed, her hooves skimming the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest, until Mane Street came into view at the far end of the grassy plateau.

  Pippa’s mouth dropped open and she almost forgot to fly at the sight that greeted her. At the farthest end of Mane Street, right opposite the fairground, there was a brightly-colored village of tents.

  “What’s that?” she asked, as Cloud flew closer.

  “A new, temporary, Stableside Castle,” said Cloud. “The ponies of Chevalia have been very generous. The royal family and court left in a great hurry, without taking any of their belongings. All day, the other ponies have been arriving with tents, bedding, cooking equipment, and just about everything a royal pony on an impromptu camping trip could need.”

  “That’s what I love about Chevalia,” said Pippa, gliding to the ground and landing a few hoof spaces from Cloud on a patch of empty grass. There was a soft pop and her wings disappeared. “Look! There’s Princess Stardust.”

  Pippa’s shoulders felt stiff from flying and she lurched toward her friend.

  Princess Stardust’s eyes widened. With a panicked snort she backed away.

  “Stardust?” Pippa was confused until she suddenly remembered that she was wearing her zony outfit. Laughing, she pulled off her hood to reveal herself. “It’s me, Pippa. Stardust, wait!”

  “Pippa?” Stardust’s hooves skidded in the grass as she stopped running. She stared at Pippa for a full minute; then her eyes blazed with fury. “That isn’t funny! You shouldn’t scare ponies like that!”

  “But . . . I didn’t mean to scare you. I was trick-or-treating when Cloud came to get me. I forgot that I’m dressed as a zony.”

  A rosy blush tinged Stardust’s white coat. “You didn’t scare me!” she said haughtily. “I was worried that you might scare the little ponies. Of course I knew it was you.”

  Pippa hid a smile. “What do you think of my outfit? It’s cool, isn’t it?”

  “It’s quite nice,” said Stardust, sounding less grumpy. She looked Pippa up and down. “I might dress up as a zony next year.”

  Pippa smiled. “That’d be fun,” she said. “I missed you, Stardust. I’m glad I’m here.”

  “I missed you too.” Stardust nuzzled Pippa’s hair. “It’s horrible here now. We’re living in tents. There’s no room to swing a tail. I’ve got to share with Princess Crystal and Princess Honey. They keep sending me on errands and treating me like a baby just because I’m younger than them.”

  “Living in a tent village looks like fun,” said Pippa. “Can I have a look?”

  “Fun?” Stardust seemed put out. “I suppose you can look, if you’re sure you want to.”

  Stardust led Pippa into the first tent. It smelled of crushed grass and was almost as cold inside as out. “This is our new dining room,” said Stardust, her nose wrinkling in distaste.

  The makeshift dining room was dirty and nowhere near as luxurious as the grand dining hall at Stableside Castle, where the ponies ate from ornate feeding troughs and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Pippa took in the two low wooden benches with buckets arranged in a line on top. They’d clearly been made in a hurry. “I love the decorations,” she said, in an effort to say something nice. She pointed at the paper flags covered with tiny horseshoes that hung from the tent poles.

  “You wait until you see my bedroom,” sniffed Stardust. “It’s yucky.” She went toward a door at the back of the dining tent just as another pony came the other way.

  “Queen Moonshine.” Pippa and Stardust dropped curtsies.

  “Welcome back, Pippa MacDonald.” Queen Moonshine dipped her head regally. Her long white mane trailed on the muddy ground and her hooves were splattered with dirt. “Thank you for coming to our rescue once again. As you can see, something awful has happened. We’ve been forced to abandon Stable-side Castle because it’s haunted by a ghost. At first, I didn’t believe it. But it’s true. The royal family evacuated to these terrible conditions. But one does what one must when facing a haunting.”

  “I guess so,” agreed Pippa.

  Queen Moonshine dropped her head and looked straight at Pippa. “You are the bravest soul I know. Would you investigate the haunted castle for me? For Chevalia?”

  Pippa shoved her hands inside the pockets of her onesie so that Queen Moonshine wouldn’t see how much they were trembling.

  Could there be real ghosts in Chevalia? The idea was terrifying. And she could see that the Queen was scared, scared enough to move her entire family out of the castle. Pippa took a deep breath and said, “Yes, your majesty. I will investigate.” And then she added, “If Stardust comes with me.”

  “Me!” squeaked Stardust. “What use would I be? I’m the youngest!”

  “But you’re not a baby,” said Pippa. “You’re the bravest pony ever. Remember when we were looking for the missing gold horseshoes? You thought the Cloud Forest was haunted, but you still searched it with me. Please, Princess Stardust. We can face anything if we do it together.”

  There was a long silence.

  “Okay,” said Stardust, quietly. “I’ll come.”

  “Thank you, my friend!” Pippa threw her arms round Stardust and hugged her.

  Word soon spread around the tent village that Pippa and Stardust were going to invest
igate the castle ghost. When they left for Stableside, the royal ponies gathered to cheer for them. Pippa walked faster and stood taller; the cheers made her feel better.

  Eventually they left the tents far behind them and approached Stableside Castle.

  “It’s so quiet,” said Stardust as they neared the castle walls.

  “That’s because there’s no one here,” said Pippa. Her palms were sweaty with fear. She rubbed them on her costume, trying to be brave. But, what would they find when they entered the castle?

  But they didn’t get that far. As they approached the drawbridge, a long moan rippled across the moat. Stardust almost jumped into Pippa’s arms.

  “What was that?” she croaked.

  “I don’t know!” said Pippa, gripping Stardust.

  The moan grew louder.

  “Stardust,” whispered Pippa, nervously looking around, “it’s getting closer!”

  “Aaaarghh!” Stardust jumped back, her body trembling. She screamed so loud it almost drowned out the ghostly moans.

  A milk-white pony appeared high on the castle wall.

  Pippa felt hot and cold at the same time. In disbelief, she watched the ghostly pony rear up, slashing its hooves above its horrible head. Not a pony head, but a fiery orange pumpkin with a gaping mouth and slits for eyes.

  They had found the ghost.

  Chapter 3

  Stardust let out a shrill whinny. “Run!” she cried. Stardust spun around and galloped back toward the safety of Mane Street.

  “Stardust, wait!” Pippa called. She wished she still had wings as she ran after the princess pony.

  Pippa’s lungs stung with exertion as she finally caught Stardust by grabbing at her white tail.

  “Aaagh! Get off me, Pumpkin Ghost!” screamed Stardust.

  “It’s only me,” Pippa said. “Your friend, Pippa.”

  Stardust stopped so suddenly Pippa smacked into her. Pushing Stardust’s tail out of her face, Pippa kept talking. “What’s wrong? We’ve faced far scarier things than this before. Remember the time Cloud gave you wings, and we flew into the heart of the volcano to rescue the last golden horseshoe? That was terrifying.”