Chapter Text
COLD OPEN!
It was a foggy night out at sea, and a freighter captain was peering through his binoculars, looking for any signs of a lighthouse. After all, he had a big shipment to bring in!
"This fog is thickest I've ever seen," The captain admitted as he kept looking through his binoculars. "There's no sign of anything out there."
"Captain, look!" called one crew member. "I see a ship coming!"
"Signal for them to be careful out here," The captain ordered.
The crew member nodded and started to signal. However, there was no response and the other ship was getting closer.
"Captain, there's something really wrong here!" The crew member called.
"What in the..." began the captain as he took a look for himself.
Drifting out of the fog was a ramshackle, ancient-looking vessel with torn sails, dilapidated wood, and other such unpleasantness.
"What is that?" Another crew member asked.
"Look at the flag!" One more said as they spotted the flag on the ship. It was a skull and crossbones, atop a black flag.
"It's the ghost of Redbeard!" The captain declared upon recognizing the jolly roger of the known pirate.
And as the ship drew closer, they heard the wicked cackle of the pirate captain, echoing over the seas.
"HAAAH, HAHAHAHAHA!" [if we can, we would like to use the classic recording of the maniacal laugh from "Go Away Ghost Ship".]
(End of COLD OPEN.)
OK, THIS IS THE LAST TIME WE'RE USING THIS INTRO!
Featured Music: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? (Instrumental Mix) by Gary Lionelli and Bodie Chandler
FADE IN on the Gang, getting into the Mystery Machine, which peels out and speeds off. A spooky shot of several monsters they'll most likely unmask—the Devil Bear, the Pterodactyl Ghost, the Dragon Beast, the Space Kook, and the Blue Scarab.
FRED
First up, the blonde himself. He tips backwards in a chair, opening a secret passageway. Next, a clip of him setting a trap.
VELMA
Next up, the brainy bespectacled brunette. She's typing on her laptop...and the next scene, she's carrying the others on her back while running.
DAPHNE
Third one up, the redhead. She briefly appears in her middle-school form, rattling off a text before she adjusts a cap on her head. Next clip has her in her current form, doing judo, before she slips and falls on her butt.
SHAGGY
Fourth, the scruffy-haired beatnik. He rolls an entire pizza (stuffed crust, naturally) like a burrito, and eats it whole! Next, he sees Chickenstein and makes a run for it, dropping a bucket of chicken as he leaves.
SCOOBY!
Last but not least, the Great Dane himself is shown running for his life...and then in another clip, we see him baring his teeth and growling...fiercely!
Next, we get shots of some monsters the gang will be encountering this and next season.
{Chickenstein, the Rock Demon, the Blue Scarab (as drawn by Zigwolf from Deviantart), Zen-Tuo, Pierre Ghoulash, the Swamp Witch and Zombie, the Paint Ghost, the Living Burger, and the Pumpkin Witch.}
The gang gets into the Mystery Machine, and drives off towards the screen as the headlights flood the camera.
And fade to a shot of the logo!
SCOOBY-DOO!
Tales of Crystal Cove
And then...FADE OUT!
Case File #16:
THE CURSE OF CAPTAIN REDBEARD!!
The following afternoon, the gang was at their favorite place, Messick's Munch Hut, to stop and get a bite to eat for lunch.
"Lucky for us we get to eat off-campus for lunch, eh, gang?" asked Fred.
"Like, you bet!" Shaggy said as he bit into a burger. "Plenty of variety!"
"Absolutely," Daphne agreed while eating her salad.
While Velma was using her laptop, she received a news alert. "Huh, what's this about?" She asked as she opened it up.
As soon as she gave it a look over, she turned to the gang. "Everyone, you're going to want to see this," she told her friends.
"What's up?" Fred asked as everyone got closer to see.
"Another cargo ship has been hijacked," said Velma, reading from the page. "When asked, the crew could only respond, Redbeard."
"Over in history class, they talked about a pirate of the same name that caused trouble for the settlers." Daphne mentioned.
"Whoa...and it looks like he's back for another go-around!" Shaggy responded, swallowing his bite.
"Reah!" Scooby agreed.
"Apparently these guys were working for the C.L. Magnus shipping company," read Fred. "Maybe we should go over and help out."
"I agree," Velma replied.
"Sure." Daphne said as she finished her salad.
"I don't like it," said Shaggy. "But...okay."
Scooby nodded, uneasy the whole way through.
Of course, after school was done, they did some more research, and headed to C.L. Magnus's address.
"He lives in the penthouse," Velma pointed out.
"Then that's where we're headed," responded Fred as he shut off the van, and disembarked. Once that was done, they went inside and rode the elevator to the penthouse floor.
When they got out, they went to the penthouse door and rang the bell.
The butler answered the door. "Yes?" he asked.
"Hi, we're Mystery Incorporated, and we heard about what's been going on with Mr. Magnus's shipping company," explained Fred. "We came by so we could offer our assistance."
"Mr. Magnus is currently not accepting guests," The butler replied. "Please leave." He requested before closing the door.
"Well...I guess that's it," shrugged Shaggy. "Might as well throw in the towel."
"Not on your life," Velma replied.
"I think Velma has an idea for getting in there," Fred said with a smile.
"Yup!" nodded Velma.
Shaggy gulped. "I was afraid of that!" he responded.
"Re too!" Scooby whimpered.
"Let's see how this goes," Daphne said as they went to get ready.
So they went back up to the penthouse, but this time, they had some extra preparation.
They knocked on the door again and the butler answered again. "Yes?"
"Complimentary delivery." Velma said as she and Shaggy pushed the cart into the penthouse.
"Eh?" asked the butler. "I never ordered anything of the sort—"
"It's, like, complimentary for being such exceptional residents," Shaggy explained as he was trying to keep the butler from blowing the proverbial whistle on them.
"..." The butler squinted curiously, but let them in anyway.
However, they didn't notice a trip hazard in the rug and accidentally tripped, cart and all, onto the floor.
"Just as I suspected," the butler remarked as he looked down over the scattered kids and dog.
"What's going on?" Magnus asked from his chair.
"Sir, you have some...shall we say, guests," the butler responded.
"Hi, we're mystery solvers and we're here to help about your problems with your ships getting attacked." Fred introduced and explained.
"I see," mused Mr. Magnus. "Well...since you're already here, you may as well sit down while I explain."
"Please do so," Velma suggested as they all took a seat.
And so, Mr. Magnus did explain. "About 300 years ago, Redbeard terrorized the seven seas," he said. "But was brought to justice by my ancestors—as well as someone by the name of Amelia Ruth Blake, who cut off his hand. And for this, he vowed to come back and get even, even if it took the rest of his life. And now...I fear he may have returned."
"Sounds like that could be the case." Daphne said as she had a feeling that she knew the member of her family that helped.
"I'm not so sure, Mr. Magnus," responded Velma. "Ghosts are our specialty, especially the ones that turn out to be phonies."
"We'll look into all of this and solve the mystery," Fred promised.
And so, the Gang headed out to the marina, after renting a speedboat.
"I really don't like this," Shaggy mentioned. "About this...I have a seriously bad feeling."
"Re too," nodded Scooby.
"You two always have a bad feeling," said Velma. "And every time, it turns out to be someone in costume. Besides Charlie."
"However, they do tend to be a bit dangerous," Daphne mentioned. "Plus who knows what kind of people we'll be dealing with this time?"
Everyone glanced at each other, then at Fred.
"...well, I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle," he said, after a few minutes of hesitation.
They could only hope for their success as they went out to sea.
As they continued, they eventually rammed into something hard, jostling them all around the boat. "What was that?" Shaggy asked in fear.
"... I think we hit something..." groaned Daphne.
"But what?" Fred asked as they investigated.
As the fog cleared, they saw they had collided—with the ghost ship.
"Well, this is convenient," Velma stated as they checked the ship.
"Convenient, yeah...but for who?" Shaggy asked as he followed behind.
They found a ladder for fallen over sailors and climbed up it.
"So..." Velma said once they got up on the deck. "What's our plan?"
"This time we need to stay together unless we absolutely need to split up," Fred advised.
"Like, you don't hafta tell ME twice!" Shaggy exclaimed.
"Re reither!" Scooby agreed.
And so, the gang headed off to search the ship. It was creepy, creaky, and seemed to be held-together with duct tape, since every few steps one of the gang would stumble and fall into a newly-opened hole in the deck.
"This place really needs to be scuttled," Daphne stated as she managed to catch herself from falling into a hole.
"Alright, guys...we're going to need to tread lightly," said Velma. "Or at least test the strength before we walk."
They agreed to that right before the floor gave way, and they all fell below deck. "YAAAAAAAUGH!" they screamed as they plummeted downward.
"...is everyone okay?" Fred groaned. "No bones broken?"
"Gimme a second to stand up, and I'll letcha know," grunted Shaggy.
"So far...nothing," Daphne replied.
"Jinkies, this thing seems like it has termites." Velma stated.
"Rhaddo re do?" asked Scooby.
"Well, our best course of action would be to search the ship," replied Fred.
"Like, maybe we'll find a life raft and use it to escape with our lives." Shaggy advised.
"Later, Shag," insisted Fred. "Now let's get moving."
And so, the gang went searching the ship. As they did, Scooby saw a door labelled CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS.
"Hmm..." he pondered, before he went to take a peek.
He opened the door and saw a desk and a bed and a chest. It was old, rotted, and covered with cobwebs all over. However, he didn't see the captain.
"Reeuck!" gagged Scooby as he slammed the door.
Suddenly there was a tap on his shoulder. "Hey, nobody allowed in me quarters besides me, the captain!" an angry voice told Scooby.
"Oh! Rorry," Scooby responded...before his eyes went wide. Turning backwards, he saw a tall man dressed in dark pirate clothes and having a blood-red beard.
"RIKE!" Scooby yelped before he scurried away as fast as he could. Within seconds, he caught up with the others.
"Scooby-Doo, what's with you?" asked Shaggy.
"Ri saw...I saw..." Scooby exclaimed before he got up on two feet, squinted one eye shut and made his hand into a hook shape. "ARR!"
"You saw one of the pirates?" Fred asked.
"Reah! Reah!" Scooby exclaimed, nodding rapidly.
"Well, at least we know that we're not alone on the ship now," Velma pointed out.
"In this case, I might've preferred bein' alone!" Shaggy gulped.
"I'm afraid we might just have to split up and look for clues this time," Fred declared. "Most of these hallways are kinda narrow."
"...split up? On a shipful of pirate spooks?" Shaggy asked, mortified.
"I'm afraid we don't have a choice," Velma admitted. "We won't be able to find anything if we're stuck together all the time."
"However, we do have a few things to help in emergencies." Daphne said as she pulled out a couple of flare guns, road flares, firecrackers, and air horns. "These should help as distractions and signals."
"...well, I hope you're right," said Shaggy as he and Scooby each took one of each.
"All we can do is try." Fred said as they went the usual way with things.
"Okay, where'd you see the pirate, Scoob?" asked Shaggy.
Scooby whimpered in response.
"I know, I know...I don't wanna go either," replied Shaggy. "But we don't really have much of a choice."
Scooby sighed, and after a minute, he relented. "Raptain's Ruarters," he said.
"Quarters, huh?" Shaggy said. "Welp...here we go." And so, he followed Scooby back to the Captain's Quarters to take a look around.
Fortunately Redbeard wasn't around as they arrived. Then they opened the door and looked inside.
"Sheesh...this place really went to pot over the years," mused Shaggy as he looked inside. "Lotsa cobwebs...but like, no captain."
"Rhat's a good rhing," Scooby advised as they looked around.
Suddenly, they noticed a plaque for holding a sword, but with no sword.
"...whoa," said Shaggy. "Wonder where the sword could be?"
"Ri dunno," Scooby said as they were both curious and confused.
"...you know, maybe we better get outta here, Scoob," said Shaggy. "Like, we didn't even find much of anything in here, except for the world's first floating cobweb collection."
"Reah, rokay," Scooby agreed as they left the room.
Once they were out, they headed down the hallway, not realizing that they were now being followed.
Behind them was a pirate ghost with a hook hand of her own, a blue coat, electric-blue, flamelike hair, and a pair of white boots.
"Oh, my~" The ghoul said with a grin. "I'll be following that booty and the sea doggy!" she declared as she followed them.
So Scooby and Shaggy went around the ship, searching for another door or a hatch in the paneling. All they found was the galley.
"Guess we came up empty, then," commented Shaggy, glancing at the door to the galley. "Welp, we'd better go and regroup with the others!"
"Rokay," Scooby agreed, but as they opened the door they saw the ghoul that was following them.
"Hello, me hearties!" she said in excitement while waving.
"...Scoob, you see this too, right?" asked Shaggy, his eyes wide.
"Reah, Raggy, ri see it," nodded Scooby.
"Oh, good," Shaggy replied. "In that case..."
"TIME TO BAIL FROM THIS BOOGEY BUCCANEER!" he shrieked, and he and Scooby immediately turned tail and made tracks.
"Oh, no ye don't!" The ghoul said before giving chase.
Shaggy and Scooby scurried back above the deck, and up the rigging, into the crow's nest.
"...okay, I think we lost her, Scoob," panted Shaggy, relieved.
Suddenly, the pirate ghost floated up next to them. "Yoo-hoo!" She said with a grin.
"YAAAAAAAGH!" Scooby and Shaggy shrieked as they jumped out of the crow's nest and scurried down the rigging. Once they were back on the deck, they started running again.
"Like, how the heck did she float up there?" asked Shaggy.
"Rires?" Scooby offered.
"I dunno, Scoob..." shuddered Shaggy. "Those were pretty good for wires."
MEANWHILE, WITH FRED, DAPHNE, AND VELMA...
They had discovered the cargo hold and found what was taken from the recent freighter.
"Looks like Redbeard's been busy," commented Velma.
"No doubt," Daphne agreed. "This is all from today's shipment."
"Which means the captain can't be too far..." Fred rubbed his chin as he looked around.
Suddenly they heard footsteps coming their way.
"Everyone, take cover!" Fred whispered. "Someone's coming!"
They all hid where they could find a spot as the footsteps got closer. As they hid, they each peeked out from their hiding spots and saw Redbeard himself along with two other pirates and a person in a cloak.
No words were spoken, but it was plain to see that this was quite a surprise.
They inspected the cargo before nodding and leaving the room. Once the pirates were gone, the gang climbed from their hiding place.
"Alright...so those were our pirates," said Velma. "What I wanna know is, where the heck were THEY before now?"
"That's a good question," Fred agreed. "Also, who was that hooded character?"
"Maybe they're not hiding out on the ship," said Daphne. "But UNDER it. Like in a submarine or something!"
"We'll have to check," Velma declared. "Let's go."
The trio headed out the door and went to go find Scooby and Shaggy, who were still running from the ghoul.
"Okay, how are we gonna lose her?" Shaggy asked.
"Reats re!" Scooby exclaimed, before they both stumbled over a barrel, and fell on their faces.
"So! A sea dog and a mutt!" Captain Redbeard bellowed as he loomed over the duo. "Nice work bringin' them in, Seaweed Sally."
"More like ah was tryin' to claim them, but oh well," Seaweed Sally admitted. "I'll get them soon."
"In due time," said Redbeard as he grabbed the both of them by their collars. "Now...what to do with the pair of ye!" he mused.
"Like, here's an idea," said Shaggy. "You let us go, and we'll leave and never tell a soul!"
"Reah!" Scooby agreed as he mimed zipping his lips shut.
"Hard to believe, when dead men tell no tale is true." Redbeard countered. "So how about I make you two of some use until then?"
Scooby and Shaggy both gulped nervously, while the pirates snickered deviously behind them.
"Ah already have an idea for them." Seaweed Sally said before smacking Shaggy on the butt.
"Yipe!" Shaggy shrieked, startled. This little moment was being watched through a porthole by the others.
"This is bad, they're caught," Fred pointed out.
"And the female one is being a complete pervert," Velma mentioned.
"That settles it... we've got to do something to get them out!" Daphne chimed in. "But what?"
"I might have an idea," Fred admitted. "I think we can sneak around and make a sail fall onto them."
"Alright," nodded Daphne. "But we'll need to get their attention somehow."
"I might have an idea about that," Velma said before pulling out a belly dancer costume from her backpack. "Even pirates can't ignore this."
"...where did you get that?" Fred asked, his face red with shock.
"It's a leftover from Halloween." Velma admitted as she gave one to Daphne. "It was one option we were deciding on and we decided to save it for next time."
"Oh!" Daphne responded. "Well, alright...if it's for Shaggy and Scooby!"
"Believe me, it is," Velma assured her. "It's time we help them out of a jam."
Daphne nodded, and she and Velma left, while Fred headed to the mast and decided to work out how to push it over. Fortunately, he found a spot that was already breaking and he pulled out his camping saw to help it out.
"Let's get things going, first..." Fred declared as he began cutting.
Meanwhile, Scooby and Shaggy had been assigned to working in the galley as the ship cooks.
"...well, I always DID wanna be a chef," admitted Shaggy. "But not like this, Scoob."
"Re either!" Scooby agreed while they were cutting onions.
"Keep cuttin', ye bilge-rats!" said Barnacle Brutus, one of the other pirates. "Even us ghost pirates need our vittles!"
"Quiet!" Seaweed Sally ordered. "I'm enjoying the view."
Her fellow pirates glanced at her. "Sally, don't make this weird," responded Swabber.
"You're weird," She countered. "Even a female pirate has needs and it's been a while since I found anything to enjoy." She explained. "Besides, taunting him won't make him cook any better."
Brutus and Swabber just rolled their eyes at that. "And I suppose makin' him uncomfortable will?" asked Brutus.
Before Sally could retort, they heard something from above deck.
"What was that?" The pirates asked before going above deck to check.
Once they got above the deck, they were surprised to see Daphne and Velma, dressed like belly dancers, doing a little performance on the deck.
"Those classes are finally starting to pay off!" Daphne commented.
The male pirates were all surprised and started to enjoy the show.
"And you were getting on MY case," Seaweed Sally remarked smugly.
She wanted to go back to the galley, but then she noticed saw dust on the deck.
"Hmm..." she murmured, glancing at the dust. Then she looked up and spotted Fred, who was busily sawing away at the mast.
"So that's it, then?" Seaweed Sally mused. "Hey! Nitwits!" she told her two compatriots. "It's a distraction!"
However they weren't listening, and suddenly Fred finished up with his cutting.
"Tim-berrr!" Fred called as the mast and sail came down.
"Augh!" Seaweed Sally exclaimed while she and her compatriots were blanketed by the falling sail.
"Yeah! It worked!" Daphne beamed as she and Velma slapped fives. Then as they went to get Shaggy and Scooby, the sail was no longer occupied.
Daphne and Velma made their way down into the galley, where they found Shaggy and Scooby putting something together.
"If they want a meal, we'll give 'em one, right, Scoob?" Shaggy asked as he threw in a bar of soap.
"Reah! Reah!" Scooby snickered as he tossed in some peppers.
Redbeard himself came in. "Well, how's dinner coming along?" he asked.
"Just about ready!" Shaggy said. "I don't suppose you'd want a taste?"
"Very well then." Redbeard agreed. "Bring me a bowl; captain always gets first serving."
So Shaggy spooned out a bowlful and brought it over to Redbeard, who waited with bated breath.
"Finally!" Redbeard said as he took a sniff. "So what's in it?"
"Onions, couple peppers, and whatever else we could find," Shaggy replied.
"You eat it then!" Redbeard said with a laugh.
"Fine," said Shaggy as he took a spoonful (or at least made it look like a spoonful) and slurped it down.
Redbeard watched him closely. "Well?"
Shaggy wiped his mouth. "Serviceable." he said.
"Fine," Redbeard said as he took the bowl and gulped the whole thing down.
Shaggy and Scooby watched in silence.
Then, Redbeard's mouth began to spout flames...then, bubbles!
Amidst the commotion, Shaggy and Scooby exited the kitchen quickly...only to bump into their friends.
"Boy, are we glad to see you!" Shaggy exclaimed, before he noticed the costumes. "Hey, what's with the getups?"
"We had to distract the pirates." Daphne admitted. "And we looked good while doing it."
"I can imagine," said Shaggy. "But those creeps aren't around here, are they?"
"Don't worry, Shag," said Fred. "We got 'em but good!"
"Are you so certain about that?" Seaweed Sally asked as she came through a wall with a giggle.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Fred. "...now that's a pretty good trick!"
Velma's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, right!" she smiled. "I almost forgot, we could just unmask them!"
"Unmask them?" asked Shaggy. "Oh! Right!" And he and Scooby laughed in relief.
"Try it," Seaweed Sally advised with a grin.
"Gladly," said Velma as she reached over to remove the mask...but then she couldn't pull it off. In fact, she couldn't even TOUCH her!
"Uh...shouldn't the mask be comin' off?" asked Shaggy, becoming more and more nervous. "H-how come it's not?"
"...well...maybe...it's a projection!" Velma stated, getting a little nervous. "Clearly the culprit stashed projectors around the ship...to make it seem like these so-called 'ghosts' were phasing through walls and whatnot!"
Suddenly, Seaweed Sally grabbed Velma and lifted her up. "Can one of those thingies do this?" She asked with a laugh.
By now, Velma was coming apart at the seams. "B-but—I...how...guh..." she stammered, clutching her head for fear it might explode from sheer confusion.
"Simple: this ship is haunted~!" Seaweed Sally replied before shifting her face into a ghostly skull and scaring Velma.
At that, Velma fainted.
"...golly!" remarked Fred.
"Jeepers!" Daphne gasped.
"Roh, no!" Scooby yelped.
And Shaggy? He just froze up, completely shut off. The lights were on, but nobody was home.
"Hmm, too much?" Seaweed Sally asked as she put Velma against the wall and decided to be funny by having Velma suck her thumb."Well, Fred...any ideas?" Daphne asked, grabbing Shaggy and hoisting him over her shoulder.
"Only one comes to mind," said Fred, grabbing Velma in his arms. "RUN!"
And so, run they did.
"No wonder they're in good shape." Seaweed Sally declared before she went through another wall.
So as they ran, Daphne, Fred and Scooby ducked into a room with their out-of-commission friends.
"OK, this is way too much for us to handle," said Daphne. "I mean, it was one thing when it was just guys in masks...but REAL GHOSTS?!"
"This is WAY above our pay grade, and we never get paid for solving mysteries!" Fred declared in terror. "...if we survive, we ought to change that!"
"Rhat are re gonna do?!" Scooby whimpered, covering his eyes.
"Ohhh...my head." Velma groaned as she woke up.
"Velma!" Fred beamed as he hugged her. "You're awake!"
"And wishing I wasn't, for once." Velma replied. "My initial shock is gone, but it's time to face the facts and the facts are that I've been looking into something for a while."
"What would that be?" asked Daphne.
"Remember Hotel Spengler?" Velma asked. "It was named in honor of Doctor Egon Spengler, a renowned scientist and a Ghostbuster."
"OK, yeah, we remember that," replied Fred.
"Meaning that Dr. Spengler and his colleagues Ray Stantz and Peter Venkman not only proved the existence of ghosts, but they also discovered how to capture them and like all skeptics I didn't believe them, until now." Velma explained.
"Alright," nodded Daphne.
"Rut rhat do re do about the actual ghosts here?!" Scooby exclaimed.
"Well, according to their notes, the Ghostbusters determined that for a haunted ship to manifest it would either have to be a curse or it was summoned and I think it was summoned," Velma suggested. "We saw that cloaked figure, so maybe that's the one that summoned the ghosts in the first place."
"Alright...so how do we deal with them?" inquired Fred. "Especially since we're still down by one."
"The only way to stop all this is to find what was used to summon them with and return it to where it belongs." Velma revealed.
Scooby rubbed his chin....before his eyes lit up. "Ri know! Ri know!" he exclaimed.
"What do you know?" Daphne asked.
"Raggy and I saw something earlier!" Scooby replied. "On the wall!"
"What was it?" Fred asked before Shaggy finally woke up.
"It was, like, a plaque that was missing a sword to hold." He said while shaking.
"Shaggy! You're back!" Daphne smiled as she was about to hug him...but then stopped and just patted him gently.
"OK...so if we find the sword from that plaque, then we can get rid of the ghosts!" Fred theorized.
"That sounds about right," Velma agreed.
"But...how do we know it'll work?" Shaggy asked.
"Dr. Spengler and his team did the same thing a few times before and got the same results, so it's worth a try." Velma advised.
"...rokay," Scooby gulped.
"Well if, like, a scientist could do it then maybe we could try," Shaggy admitted.
"Okay, so how are we doing this?" Daphne inquired.
As soon as she said that, the ship stopped.
"...hey, how come we stopped?" asked Fred.
Velma stuck her head out of a nearby porthole to get a look and see what was prompting them to stop. Apparently, they had entered a cave and were docked.
"Looks like this is our stop," noted Velma as she pulled her head back inside.
"At least we know that they stop to unload," Fred pointed out.
"Then this is our best chance to find that missing sword," said Daphne.
"Agreed," Velma replied. "And I'm willing to bet that cloaked figure has it."
"Rhen how do we get it?" Scooby wondered.
"First, let's get some pirate disguises and make like we're carrying cargo," Fred suggested as he found a chest full of clothes.
Daphne looked over the chest. "Sounds like a plan!" she beamed.
"I hope this works," Shaggy gulped. "As in, the disguise part. I really don't need that creepy ghost girl getting handsy with me again!"
"She's a creep," Daphne stated. "But then again it has probably been a while since she had some fun, yet it still doesn't excuse how she acts."
"Simple," Fred responded. "When you're in disguise, you've gotta put off an aura of being mean, intimidating! I know that'll be hard, but just try."
Once they were disguised, they grabbed a crate and headed out of the ship. As they moved, the pirates didn't notice them.
They smiled to themselves as they brought the crate out, then they spotted Seaweed Sally as she was looking around.
"Hoo-boy...there she is..." Shaggy whispered, swallowing heavily.
"Keep quiet and she won't recognize you," Daphne advised as Seaweed Sally went by and completely missed them entirely.
Shaggy wiped his brow as he continued on his way. As they carried the crate, they spotted the hooded figure and the sword in their right hand as the blade was glowing.
"...there it is," Fred whispered, pointing subtlely.
"Like, that definitely looks important enough for a plaque," Shaggy agreed.
"Reah, reah!" Scooby nodded.
"We'll need to distract them," Fred advised.
"But how?" asked Shaggy.
"Hmmm..." Velma hummed as she tried thinking about ways to distract the pirates, when suddenly the thought of a rock slide occurred to her—and then, some rocks broke loose from the cave and fell down and caused the pirates and hooded figure to check it out.
The gang was, to say the least, flabbergasted.
"...whoa!" exclaimed Daphne. "Talk about a lucky break!"
Velma was especially shocked by what happened, but she had to shrug it off to get things done.
"Shaggy, now," Velma advised. "You're the fastest and sneakiest."
"...okay," Shaggy relented.
"If only I had one more disguise to act as a distraction again!" Daphne said as she thought about being a mermaid...when suddenly her legs started to change as they fused and became a fin.
Shaggy did a double-take at that. "...like, whoa!" he whispered. "Did that just....happen?"
"Just as well as that rock slide after I was thinking about it," Velma admitted quietly as a lot of things were getting a bit weird.
"Let's make the most of it, at least," said Fred. "Daphne, now or never."
Daphne nodded as she got into the water and splashed around to draw their attention.
"Hm? What was that?" asked one pirate.
"One way to find out," replied the other as they went over to take a look.
As Daphne caused the distraction, Shaggy got ready to run after the sword. He took a deep breath, and concentrated....before he could even focus, he found himself zipping across the dock at near-blinding speed!
Before he knew it, Shaggy had grabbed the sword and got onto the ship before stopping in shock.
"...like, HOW DID I DO THAT?!" he wheezed, bewildered.
Seaweed Sally recognized the voice. "There you are!" She called as she made to go after him.
"No!" Fred shouted before out stretching his hands and suddenly what looked like an energy tornado that came from his hands shot out and managed to capture the ghoul in a spin.
"...okay, that's definitely new!" he remarked, amazed.
"Go! Go!" Velma called to Shaggy.
Shaggy didn't hesitate then; this time, he kept on running.
The other pirates tried chasing Shaggy, but then Scooby got in the way and suddenly he shifted to where he was standing on two feet and his front paws became hands as he grew some muscle and started looking like a werewolf with a great dane head.
"Rack off!" Scooby growled, baring his fangs and snarling.
That definitely shocked the pirates as Shaggy made a break for it. "Alright...I've got the speed..." he said. "So I go to the plaque, yeah?"
He ran throughout the ship until he found the captain's quarters and went inside.
"Right....it was around here somewhere!" Shaggy muttered as he looked around the place.
Then he looked on the wall and spotted the plaque.
"Alright...up we go, then!" Shaggy said as he slid the sword back into place.
Then the ship began to shake and glow as something was starting to happen.
"Uh-oh....time to go!" Shaggy called as he made a run for the exit.
Outside, the ship and the ghosts started glowing and they started fading.
"What's goin' on?!" exclaimed Barnacle Brutus.
"We be fadin' from this world!" Seaweed Sally shrieked.
"Our curse be broken!" Redbeard declared. "About time, me says! For I bein' tired of somebody else controlling me ship and crew!"
"I guess it was about time," said Swabber, as they all vanished.
As for Redbeard, the glow faded around his body. "Huh?" The gang asked in confusion.
"How come his glow faded?" mused Daphne.
"The point is, the ghosts are gone," said Velma. "And that means we can get 'em!"
"Then let's go for it!" Fred said.
And so, the gang ran at the duo, who quickly raced away.
However Shaggy's new speed helped him block their way. "Not so fast, pal!" he exclaimed. "You're not going anywhere!"
The pair tried getting away, but found themselves trapped.
"No place for you to run," said Fred. "And now—I think it's about time we unmask them!"
Scooby and Shaggy tied them up as the gang got ready to remove the masks.
First up, 'Redbeard' was unmasked to reveal...
"C.L. Magnus!" exclaimed Velma.
"But why would he do this?" asked Daphne.
"Because his business was failing, and he needed to come up with a lot of money to keep it from going under," Velma explained. "I checked it out before we got into the boat, and apparently stealing from his own company and selling the stuff on the Black Market was his answer for his failing business."
"Like, wow!" remarked Shaggy, surprised. "The things some folks will do to stay in business."
"Now for the hooded fink." Daphne said as she yanked the hood back.
To say everyone was surprised would be obvious...but Scooby and Shaggy were the most bewildered of all.
"KRUDSKY?!" they exclaimed.
"Aw, fiddlesticks!" fumed Krudsky.
"So what was his reasoning for being part of this?" mused Fred.
"Apparently he's been dabbling into "real magic" and needed some money to start up a new show," Velma suggested as she had found a book of spells that fell put of Krudsky's robe.
"Hey! Give that back!" Krudsky yelled, struggling against his bindings.
"Yeah, I don't think so," chided Velma.
"We need to alert the coast guard," Fred declared. "As for the ship, I guess we can say that it was scuttled."
And on that, everyone agreed.
They managed to find a satellite phone and contacted the coast guard and police and then the FBI was involved as they all came to the cave.
Once the FBI, coast guard, and cops were inside, they quickly apprehended Krudsky and Magnus.
Velma, of course, kept the magic book in her satchel. Who knows? It could come in handy.
Eventually they were back in town and were full of questions. with no possible answers to be given. They were all shocked by the fact that they went up against real ghosts and they apparently had powers now.
"OK...out of all the mysteries we've solved..." said Velma. "...THIS one had to be the most bizarre!"
"It was, like, a real eye opener, for us all," Shaggy mentioned. "I told you that ghosts were real, but just because we hadn't seen them until now didn't mean that they weren't."
"So...where do we go from here?" asked Daphne.
Shaggy sighed. "...I dunno, but I'm thinking about calling it quits on this," he said.
"What?" They all asked.
"But you can't," Fred stated.
"What would you do without us?" Velma asked.
"...I don't know," sighed Shaggy. "But you guys saw what happened back there before we got back in control. Velma passed out, and I froze up. We got lucky this time...but what happens next time we face a real ghost?"
"Next time we'll be ready, because Velma has an idea on what to do," Daphne assured him.
"Indeed I do," Velma confirmed. "I think our best option on figuring out how to deal with real ghosts, real magic, and maybe even figure out what happened with us would be to go see Dr. Egon Spengler himself over break." She explained. "I did some more digging and apparently he's seen a lot of things that qualify for what we're just getting into, so he should be able to help us."
"You really think this could be what we need?" asked Shaggy.
"Ranything is worth rying, Raggy." Scooby advised.
Shaggy sighed, relenting. "Okay...guess I'll stick around," he responded. "After all...without you guys, I wouldn't have any friends at all."
"Except for Scooby, but I think even he would miss us." Daphne mentioned.
"Reah!" nodded Scooby. "Ri rould!"
"Well, alright," replied Shaggy. "But how're we getting to New York? I don't think the Mystery Machine has enough space for all of us, not to mention the sleeping arrangements..."
"I actually might have an idea for that, but I'll need your help to get it done," Fred explained. "In fact, I'll need all of your help to get it done." He specified.
"Rokay," nodded Scooby as he put his paw out.
"...ah, heck," Shaggy responded. "Where he goes, I go." And he put his hand out, atop Scooby's paw.
"Same," Daphne agreed as she put her hand on top of Shaggy's.
Velma smiled. "Like I'd let you do this without me," she replied as she placed her hand atop Daphne's. "We're a team, remember?"
"Now and forever." Fred declared as he put his hand on top of everyone else's.
And so, they headed off to get started. Things were only going to be more exciting from then on.
So, for the next couple of days, they spent their afternoons sprucing up and remodeling an RV they'd gotten.
Of course, Rachel came around one afternoon. She saw an opportunity, and she would take it.
"Hey," she said, going over to Shaggy.
"Oh, hey, Rachel," said Shaggy. "What's up?"
"Just felt like visiting and wanted to know if we could hang out," Rachel replied.
"I'd like to...but we're in the middle of fixing up this RV," said Shaggy. "We're going on a cross-country road trip to New York."
"Oh?" Rachel asked as her plans were getting messed up. "Well, that should be interesting."
"Yeah, it oughta be," said Shaggy. "...look, I'm sorry we haven't hung out as much as we wanted to. I really am."
"It's alright." Rachel assured him. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."
Shaggy smiled. "I'd like that," he replied.
"So would I," Rachel agreed.
"These past few days have put a lot of things in perspective for me," said Shaggy. "And maybe this trip is what I need to get myself figured out."
"I see," Rachel replied. "Okay."
"Thanks for understanding," replied Shaggy as he got started on painting one side of the RV.
"You're welcome," Rachel replied before turning to leave. "I'll see you later."
"Good luck, Rachel," said Shaggy as he waved to her.
Rachel waved back as she left. Inwardly, she sighed. Looks like my plans will have to go full throttle, then...
Once that was done with, Shaggy got back to painting the side of the RV.
A while later, they had the RV ready.
"Alright...she's a beaut, isn't she?" Fred said, stepping back to admire the hard work the gang had done. The Mystery RV was all decked out to look like the Mystery Machine, but it also had plenty of cool new additions that made it ideal for cross-country trips.
"She's definitely an upgrade from the van," Daphne admitted.
"Indeed," nodded Velma. "And we'll be able to get more done from this. Amazing what you can do with a Winnebago!"
"Plus better for, like, sleeping in," Shaggy mentioned.
"Ro, rhen do we set off?" asked Scooby.
"In a few days," Fred replied. "We have to wait for break from school."
On that, everyone agreed.
So, a few days later, school let out for the summer. With a bunch of money saved up, bags packed, and plenty of supplies the gang was ready to go.
"Raggy, ri got a rostcard!" Scooby beamed. "Rand it's from Rew Rork!"
Shaggy looked over it as Velma got into the Mystery RV.
"Well, how about that!" Shaggy commented. "Looks like your sister Ruby has a big surprise in store for ya!"
Their families came to see them off, and some of their friends; however, Daphne's parents were nowhere to be seen. Her sisters and Jenkins were there, at least.
Daphne was a little sad...but then again, she wasn't too surprised.
"...they made their choice, and so have I," Daphne responded, noticing this.
Shaggy supported her as they got into the RV, and Fred got it ready to go. "Okay, gang, ready?" he asked.
"Affirmative!/Definitely!/Like, you bet!/Roh, reah!" came the replies.
With that in mind, Fred started the engines. "Then let's roll on outta here!" he exclaimed.
...and the Mystery RV drove off and headed out of Coolsville.
The gang was off to New York City!
As they went on their way, the cloaked man watched from a distance before removing his shroud. He was a tall man with a pencil-thin mustache, and a Ra's al-Ghul-esque hairstyle with white stripes in his black hair, as well as piercing blue eyes.
"In this you've succeeded, Mystery Inc., for you are all stronger than you truly think," he said, watching them go while he vanished. "But things are only beginning for you...especially for dear friend—"
"SCOOBY-DOOBY-DOO!" howled Scooby as the Mystery RV drove off, headed towards new adventures.
END OF SEASON ONE.